“Divided we will lose, united we will win, that’s why I prefer that we run together. I think only a compact centre-right coalition can be credible as a governing force.” This statement by Matteo Salvini, dating from May 24 and relayed by the conservative daily The newspaper, sounds like an exercise in self-talk. The leader of the Ligue (sovereign right) calls for unity in the conservative coalition ahead of the municipal elections – which will be held on June 12 – but the Italian press observes a strong division between the three parties that make it up .
The tensions between Forza Italia (center right, led by Silvio Berlusconi), Fratelli d’Italia (extreme right, led by Giorgia Meloni) and the League are also of ancient origin. But they exploded in broad daylight at the end of January, at the time of the election of Sergio Mattarella as President of the Republic, when the leaders were divided on the candidate to support.
“It seems to me that the parliamentary center right does not exist