The given by the Venetian governor is particularly prestigious, and leads him to rank third among national leaders, even surpassing his own leader, that Matteo Salvini who in 2018 and 2019 was the true key player of national politics, secretary of the first Italian party, minister of intern and vice premier. But Zaia is not Salvini, and although he has never strayed from the positions of his secretary, he has always shown a moderate, almost transversal, very “Venetian” style, which is why in the last Observatory on the Northeast conducted by Demos for the Gazzettino its popularity rating among its fellow countrymen is extremely: three out of four Venetian citizens promote it.
In this crisishe then confirmed this style by putting in place a positioning different from that of Fontana: few controversies, low tones, pragmatic approach. And despite a disturbing slip, after which he had to officially apologize to China, this approach seems to work, judging by the research of these days, which catapult him on the national scene with a leading role.
And this stimulates some reflections: when this emergency, as we all hope, has passed, will the Venetian governor agree to return to lead his region, returning to a political role as a supporting actor at national level? Or will it try to launch itself as a “moderate and government” alternative to Matteo Salvini’s leadership?
Several elements lead to a serious assessment of the latter option, which however must take into consideration the fact that today’s League is a party that has completed a long process of mutation. After a period of transition, with Maroni’s secretariat, she returned to being a leader party. Or rather, to use Fabio Bordignon’s successful formula, a “Cape party”: a structure at the service of the leader’s charisma, whose intermediate cadres, although not disappearing, acquire a different role. A “Cape party”, by definition, is very difficult to scale (which can be seen by observing the parable of the few critical voices in the League of the last few years, such as Roberto Maroni and Gianni Fava).
The rise of Zaia, therefore, can wait, also because if Salvini’s liking has fallen long after the fall of the first Conte government, on the other side the League remains the first national party, and despite the misstep in Emilia-Romagna at the moment nobody seems to be able to mobilize voters like him.
The boom in notoriety – and appreciation – of the Venetian governor, however, cannot remain irrelevant: it offers the League the opportunity to show the country a moderate, reassuring and governing face, as well as great security: maintaining consensus in a decisive region like Veneto. This national exploit of Zaia, however, risks becoming uncomfortable for a party now modeled in the image and likeness of Matteo Salvini. In the past it was Silvio Berlusconi who indicated him as a possible premier candidate. For Salvini, one more reason to be wary.
