Former defence minister and Fratelli D’Italia (FdI) co-founder Ignazio La Russa was elected as the new Speaker of the Italian Senate on Thursday, but without the votes of the right-wing party’s allies in Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI).
La Russa got 116 votes, 12 more than the majority of 104 needed.
There were 65 blank papers cast, while two votes went to Lega bigwig Roberto Calderoli, and two went to Life Senator and Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre, who was presiding over proceedings as the acting president of the Upper House.
Likely future premier Giorgia Meloni, whose FdI was the driving force of the right-wing coalition’s victory in last month’s general election, congratulated La Russa, describing him as a “patriot, a servant of the State, a man in love with Italy.”
“He has always put the national interest before anything else, a friend, a brother and an example to generations of people in the party,” said Meloni.
“I thank all those who, out of a sense of responsibility at a time when Italy demands immediate responses, have made it possible to elect the State’s second highest official in the first round of voting.”
La Russa acknowledged that his election was made possible in the first round with votes from outside the coalition, making up for those that did not come from FI, thanking people who supported him who were not part of the centre-right alliance.
Berlusconi, who personally took part in the vote while all but one other FI Senators snubbed it, said his party’s stance was driven by “unease” over negotiations on the new government team, saying he hoped the “vetoes” that had been imposed could be overcome.
There have been reports of friction between Meloni and Berlusconi over the composition of the new government team.
A reported bone of contention was Berlusconi’s demands for a senior cabinet post for FI’s Licia Ronzulli.
