The pages of the newspapers this Christmas are full of Salvini. But after the acquittal for the Open Arms case, the Minister of Infrastructure seems to have lost the inhibitory brakes which were not his strong point even before, in truth: so, first he lets it be understood that he is now ready to return to “dealing with security” , that is, to be the Minister of the Interior. Then, bounced by Meloni, Matteo projects himself into the role of unlikely king maker of the newspaper’s director, Alessandro Sallusti, or into the even more unlikely role of first-person challenger. Not that the appointment with the Milanese polls is all that close: we will vote in 2027, in short, there are a good two years to go, but it is also true that the electoral campaign will begin in a year and a half and everyone wants to be ready. Yes, but let’s go in order, from large to small, from national and international politics, to then get to the Milan question.

The Open Arms affair

The acquittal for the Open Arms affair seems to have restored Salvini’s full political viability. It certainly took away from him the sword of Damocles of a thorny criminal trial, a crown of ugly accusations to bear. However, it has not resolved all the political troubles that Matteo brings with him. It’s one thing to be acquitted in court, it’s another to return to the center of politics. It’s one thing to make people talk about yourself, it’s another thing to be masters of your own and others’ destiny. The rudeness and haste with which Salvini almost claimed his return to the Ministry of the Interior, as soon as the sentence was pronounced, is a good summary of what today’s politics often is, and above all what it should not be. The personal destiny of those involved in politics is naturally important for those directly involved. Absolute disinterest in one’s own path does not even exist for those who work as missionaries, let alone for those who work in politics.

However, in short, a minimum concern for the common good, starting with that of one’s own party and one’s own coalition, should have some importance. So, either Salvini can say that Matteo Piantedosi is a terrible minister, and that no one can be a minister as well as he has been able to do and would be able to do, and this would be serious, but to be taken seriously, or Salvini wanted to make a mess and put allies and government colleagues in difficulty, thanks to an acquittal from a trial which – incidentally – was never an alibi nor the real reason why Meloni and Mattarella did not want him back at the Ministry of Internal. Obviously, I will not go into the merits of the work that Piantedosi is carrying out and which Meloni has promptly defended, but I observe with old-fashioned dismay the continuous decline of every institutional grammar. The Prime Minister was right to remind him that he already does an important job, the Minister of the Bridge, you said nothing. And his party colleagues are right to remind him that on the games that are closest to their hearts – the mythological Autonomy – the dish continues to cry.

Sallusti mayor?

Milan, we were saying. Here the discussion is different, and entirely political. It is obviously completely legitimate that a national leader, of a party with historical roots in Lombardy, and moreover being a Milanese citizen, has the interest and desire to have his say on the future of the city in which he was born and raised, and from which he took his first steps as a man and politician. His agitation, however, is a good opportunity to take stock of Milanese politics. The center-left is preparing for the end of the Sala mayor experience with some unknowns but also with some certainties. It’s true, the city is increasingly expensive, difficult for the lower-middle classes, exclusive, populated with solitude that becomes fear. It follows its own trajectory, which resembles that of many “successful” cities these days. We have talked about it often, we will continue to do so. The centre-left, from 2011 onwards, has always been solidly in the majority within the city. Even in the last elections, when a narrative was raging that underlined the disconnect between those who govern the city and the citizens, the center-left in Milan won. Widely. In politics, as in life, nothing is ever acquired forever. But of course, things rarely change suddenly and without working to change them. Salvini, precisely in his city, is weaker than elsewhere. And he also knows that it is not a given that he will have a right of pre-emption on the candidate nominated for the challenge. The center-left browses through a list made up of names of consolidated politicians, perhaps a little worn out. And he keeps some heavier cards in his pocket, which if they were to be played would make the prey difficult for others to contest. Yes, Mario Calabresi’s name is first on the list, among the strong candidates.

The possibility of competing seriously

And the right? The Milanese right, in recent years, has often made controversies over safety and cycle paths, but little politics in the area, in order to consolidate consensus and figures. It is no coincidence that last time the civic candidate, Luca Bernardo, emerged at the last moment after a series of “no thanks”. It is no coincidence that this time none of the names mentioned so far in the name of safe second-hand goods – Lupi, Moratti – have attracted explicit enthusiasm from anyone, starting from those interested. Finally, it will not be a coincidence if the director of the Giornale Sallusti, when the time comes, will carefully evaluate the possibility of changing his profession and life, and only then will he eventually decide to take the field. What guarantees will you want? Not that of winning, of course, which is never a given. But that of being able to really play the game, of having some real chances. At the moment, if it were tomorrow, this possibility would be very remote, almost a chimera. Whether spaces will be created depends on many factors. Salvini is just one of these, certainly not the most important.