Salvini says wants TV debate with Letta too

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 22 - Nationalist League party leader Matteo Salvini said Monday he too wanted to have a TV debate ahead of the September 25 general election with the leader of the opposition centre-left coalition Enrico Letta.
    At present only the leader of the conservative Brothers of Italy (FdI) party Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to debate Democratic Party leader and ex-premier Letta.
    The hour-long US-style debate between the leaders of Italy's top two parties is slated to take place on the flagship channel of state broadcaster RAI on September 22, three days before the vote, moderated by star Raiuno host Bruno Vespa.
    On that same programme, Salvini and other major players will get half an hour to present their platforms, but without a debate.
    The news chief of smaller independent commercial broadcaster La7, Enrico Mentana, has said he is ready to hold a debate between the leaders of all four major players: the centre-right, centre-left, ad centrist poles and the fourth main party, the populist 5-Star Movement (M5S).
    Centrist pole leader and former industry minister Carlo Calenda, who heads an alliance between his Azione (Action) party and former PD chief and ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party, has said he would like to see all four players debate each other.
    Salvini agreed Monday, saying "I'd like everyone to be able to face off with everyone else.
    "I'd like to face off with Enrico Letta.
    "I hope that on the TV networks everyone gets the chance to debate everyone else.
    "I'm not an organizer of TV debate but the Italians have a right to understand.
    "I would debate Letta tomorrow morning".
    The FdI is Italy's leading party and is currently polling at just over 24%, putting Meloni in prime position to become Italy's first woman and first post-Fascist premier.
    The post-Communist and post-Christian Democrat PD is second with just under 24%.
    The League is on around 12% and Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, the third wheel in the centre-right coalition, is at around 9%.
    If the polls are correct, that would give the right/centre-right alliance around 45% of the vote on September 25, spelling a clear majority in both houses of parliament.
    Meloni, as leader of the party with the most votes, would become premier.
    Letta has been less fortunate in forming alliances having parted ways with both the M5S and Calenda, although post-election alliances are possible. (ANSA).