At the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, the political show went on, amidst slips of the tongue, jokes, and even a few tears- namely, those of Minister Renato Brunetta.
Formerly of Forza Italia, Brunetta was moved on stage by his farewell from parliament, also confirming that he will now return to his former role as a professor.
Lega secretary Matteo Salvini began the day being interviewed on the radio, poolside, with a view overlooking the lake.
He was joined by fiancée, Francesca Verdini, who seemed rather amused by the attention she received from journalists. Salvini, who has unsurprisingly proposed moving the Ministry of Innovation to Milan, indulged in a technological upgrade: “Allow me,” he said speaking before the audience of entrepreneurs, “to start with some slides.” This solution didn’t escape the president of Fratelli d’Italia, Giorgia Meloni, who commented that the visual aid was a “novelty” for the leghista: “Yes,” Salvini said, accepting her jaunt amid the laughter of the audience, “poca spesa molta resa" (little expense, much yield).
Away from prying eyes, politicians shuffled their cards at lunch. Carlo Calenda ate with Minister Mariastella Gelmini, newly acquired by Azione, and former Prime Minister Mario Monti. Monti, the former Italian national, who in the morning had also exchanged a few words with Angelino Alfano, seemed at home in Cernobbio, long since the days when he too was a minister.
Earlier in the day, Calenda had also taken the opportunity to speak with economist Carlo Cottarelli, whom he would have liked to have as a candidate with Azione, and who will instead run in the political elections with the PD. It was the same Cottarelli who, immediately after listening to Antonio Tajani’s speech on interest rates, took the Azzurro aside to explain his vision- a display that some are already jokingly describing as a small lesson in economics.
Tajani also made himself the protagonist of a spectacle, when during his speech he returned to “that time” when it was necessary to prevent a socialist from becoming president of the European Commission.
“Matteo Renzi remembers the phone call I made to him then.”
This was a slip of the tongue, since the correct Matteo is the secretary of Lega, and not the former premier. Then came his correction, with Salvini taking the bullet: “I had an identity crisis.”
Again Tajani, speaking of the fall of the Draghi government, blamed PD and the M5s. At that point Calenda turned to Enrico Letta, and, already knowing the answer, asked him: “Was it you?”
