Veneto, Zaia at the center of the debate on the third mandate: the League's thinking increases tensions in the center-right 

The issue of the third mandate for the presidents of the Regions is stirring the waters of Italian politics and sees the center stage the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, supported by Matteo Salvini and the entire Federal Council of the League. During a two-hour meeting held in Rome and connected via Zoom, the leader of the Carroccio reiterated the party's line: “Veneto is untouchable".

Zaia, already in his third term, would be excluded from a new candidacy due to the limit imposed by national legislation, but the governor called this constraint "an anomaly of our own" and stressed that his andpotential re-candidacy would depend on the lifting of the term limit. "I'm not fighting a personal battle. - has explained - but I would answer the many citizens who ask me".

A Veneto shielded by the League

During the Federal Council, Salvini defined Veneto as a “model of good governance appreciated at national and international level“, reiterating that “a winning team doesn't changea”. Alongside the League leader, his deputies Claudio Durigon, Alberto Stefani and Davide Crippa, together with the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti and the Minister of Autonomies Roberto Calderoli.

"Total harmony and sharing of objectives“, reads the note issued at the end of the meeting, which clarifies the position of the League: defend one of its main strongholds, led for 15 years by Zaia, even at the cost of challenging Fratelli d'Italia and Forza Italia, the main government allies.

Same parties with different thoughts

Disagreements on the third term limit are likely to further strain relations with Fratelli d'Italia and Forza Italia. The leader of the League in the Senate, Massimiliano Romeo, declared: “We are a party of the territory and the League wants to keep the regions where. It is also in Meloni's interest to find a satisfactory solution".

On the other hand, Senator Giovanni Donzelli (FdI) maintained a cautious line: “Term limits exist in many democracies. We will discuss them and find a comparison on the new candidacies".

Further complicating political thinking is the intervention of Forza Italy, which did not intervene because it was always opposed to changes to the mandate law. The deputy Raffaele Nevi stated that “two terms are enough“, stressing that the party does not intend to support a derogation for Zaia.

The De Luca case and the push for change

The issue of the third term does not only concern Zaia. The governor of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca (PD), is also in the same situation. His regional law, which would have allowed a new candidacy, it was challenged by the government before the Constitutional Court. However, De Luca continues to push for the unblocking, arguing that "the limit is a mistake for administrators directly elected by the people".

A still uncertain future

The League does not hide that the the match in Veneto will be complex. Salvini does not hide his optimism, declaring himself certain that "a solution will be found with the allies“, but the risk of an internal clash within the majority is real. With regional elections scheduled for the end of 2025, the political fate of Zaia, the League and Veneto remains unknown.