\u201cI began my career in politics 28 years ago in Varese, as an opposition councillor, and I\u2019ll finish it in the same role, at the same desks. Back then, in 1990, when I entered Palazzo Estense, the Mayor was Bronzi. Now, I\u2019m saying farewell to institutional positions and I\u2019m going to dedicate my old age to something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t know how much we can believe the words of Roberto Maroni<\/strong>, but he was relaxed and agreed to a chat that gradually turned into an interview.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter so many years of commitment<\/strong>, what is most important is reputation<\/strong>. In these days, I\u2019ve been gathering so many letters that were sent to me. Several are from council leaders from different parties. Such as the letter from the Mayor of San Pellegrino Terme, and one from the President of Pavia Province, who, after saying he was sorry about my decision not to run again, he wished me all the best.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to believe that you\u2019re giving up politics\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not what I said. Politics is passion of mine, a love that I could never abandon. A bit like A.C. Milan. Whatever happens, it\u2019ll always be a reference point. I said that I don\u2019t intend to hold institutional positions anymore. If I can be useful, I\u2019ll be available, but my life has new horizons now.\u201d<\/p>\n Which ones?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI have several proposals for some really interesting projects, but it\u2019s too early to talk about them now. Meanwhile, I\u2019ve joined the board of the Triennale Foundation. Last Friday, we elected Stefano Boeri as chairman<\/u><\/strong> and I\u2019m happy to be able to be involved in this great, prestigious organisation for the next four years. The other certainty is an ocean crossing by sailing boat, from Tenerife to Martinique, from 25 November to 15 December. Then I\u2019m going back to working as a lawyer. I\u2019m already dealing with some criminal trials regarding a number of administrators who\u2019ve been put in the hot seat by a judiciary that compares them to organised crime. There\u2019s something wrong when a man like Giuseppe Orsi, the former CEO of Finmeccanica, is arrested and then acquitted after six years. Meanwhile his life has been ruined forever. And the Mayor of Montichiari, who\u2019s been sentenced to three years<\/u><\/strong>, for taking decisions about a dump that was causing health problems, is in the same situation.\u201d<\/p>\n In Your political career you\u2019ve been a councillor, the chairman of a city council, an alderman, a minister on three occasions, the leader at the Chamber of Deputies, the secretary of the Lega and, finally, the President of Lombardy Region. What you\u2019re missing is the President of a Province, the President of the Republic and Prime Minister. Do you want us to believe that, if they asked you to be Prime Minister, you would refuse?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe it\u2019s an actual possibility. A lot was said about an agreement between me and Berlusconi, but it isn\u2019t true. I rather think the real game starts on 5 March.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNow, it\u2019s as though the teams were in the dressing rooms, and I don\u2019t think the political situation will remain the way it\u2019s been in these days. There won\u2019t be a stable majority after the election, but we won\u2019t have another election soon. Instead, we\u2019ll see the main centre right movements, because with the exit of Berlusconi, we can\u2019t know what will happen to Forza Italia. Interesting political spaces will open up, and the real match will then begin.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, the situation in your party isn\u2019t exactly relaxed. The Lega Nord became the Lega Salvini, with the demands of the North and Padania satisfied \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe North only disappeared from the logo, not from our points of reference. I\u2019m for the North First, and this has always been my political battle. But I can\u2019t deny there\u2019s a certain amount of discontent at this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you talking about Fava?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNot just him. From Veneto to Piedmont, there are people who don\u2019t see the turning point in a good light. I look with sadness even at the situation of Umberto Bossi, who is still my big brother, my reference, my Pantheon. Seeing him denied the chance to speak in Pontida wasn\u2019t good, and if I\u2019d been in his place, I\u2019d have retired, but he still believes in the old Lega.\u201d<\/p>\n How will 5 March end?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c1X2, like the old football pool forms. The result isn\u2019t certain. 1, the centre right wins, X, nobody wins, 2, there\u2019ll be a surprise with M5S, Lega and Fratelli d\u2019Italia, who\u2019ll have a majority to govern.\u201d<\/p>\n Aren\u2019t you worried about the latter possibility?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNo, also because there\u2019s already been a precedent, in 1994, when a Lega Nord member entered the Palazzo del Viminale. At that time, this choice caused quite an uproar, and people were saying that I\u2019d divide everything, that I wouldn\u2019t continue the fight against the mafia, and only concern myself with the North. It was renamed Piminale, the Ministry of the Interior. Nicola Mancino resigned early, so that he wouldn\u2019t have to hand over to a Lega Nord member.\u201d<\/p>\n But the fear today is to see amateurs thrown in at the deep end \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cToday, compared to twenty years ago, there are a lot of external checks, which make it impossible for national governments to create too many disasters. Of course, this isn\u2019t what I am hoping for, but if we go back to 1994, the criticisms were the same. At the time, the people preferred Speroni to Miglio, who was certainly more qualified in constitutional matters. In short, Bossi chose a certain lack of expertise, but there were no problems.<\/p>\n So \u2026 that experience doesn\u2019t seem to be a good example, because it lasted a very short time.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYes, but for political reasons and not because of the lack of expertise. Bossi was worried because he was afraid that Berlusconi would destroy the Lega\u2019s constituencies, and so he quit the government.\u201d<\/p>\n However, there is a political problem, with a right wing that is increasingly LePenist \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cLePenism is dead. Marine Le Pen herself said so, because that season is over. What would it mean, then? That there\u2019s fascism? I\u2019d say that in these days of violence we see it from a completely different perspective, given the clashes stoked by the community centres.\u201d<\/p>\n Aren\u2019t you worried about a shift to the extreme right?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe return of fascism is a farce. What we experienced with Mussolini\u2019s dictatorship is no longer possible. We have democratic antibodies, and the North is immune to fascism. Here, the resistance was born, and here, there are the democratic forces that are active and alive. I\u2019m part of that culture myself, and I\u2019ll never agree to seeing the Lega transform into an extreme right-wing party.\u201d<\/p>\n So if the opportunity, the kairos, or right time, should arise, you might resume political activity again?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNow, kairos means thinking about my old age. I\u2019m 63, and after years of education and work, then of institutional positions, now, I want to cultivate some hobbies and do things that I\u2019m interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n But when did you begin to think about this, and decide not to run again?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDuring the holidays, last summer. I talked about it with my family and only a few close friends. I wanted to take time to think about it. Then we had the referendum about independence, and so we got to the end of October. Straight after, I discussed the matter with Salvini and Berlusconi. They asked me to wait before talking about it publicly, because they wanted to see whether or not there\u2019d be an election, to decide which candidate to choose. As soon as we were sure about the date and the method of the vote, I called a press conference in the regional building and announced that I wouldn\u2019t be running again. This is what happened and all you have to do is check the dates.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think about Fontana\u2019s candidacy?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an excellent choice and he\u2019ll win.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you giving him some advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t need it. I\u2019ll still be the President of Lombardy Region until the middle of March. This is my role and he knows what to do afterwards. Many council members will not stay in Lombardy, because they\u2019re candidates for Parliament. We\u2019ll see how the new team will be made up, but it won\u2019t be my problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Regrets?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNo. My biggest satisfaction has been reading that 66% of the people in Lombardy think I\u2019ve been a good president and that I did my job well. I couldn\u2019t ask for more, also because, over these years, I governed while keeping excellent relations with everybody, even with many mayors of towns led by the centre left, including Beppe Sala, who\u2019s even an Inter supporter.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The President of Lombardy Region explains why he is not running again, and how he sees his future. \u201cI\u2019m not giving politics up, and the North is in my heart, even though it isn\u2019t on the Lega\u2019s logo anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1026,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,7,2],"tags":[14307,60917,82043],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n