Former defence minister and Brothers
of Italy (FdI) co-founder Ignazio La Russa was elected 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 League
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".
She said he had "always put the national interest before
anything else" and was a "friend, a brother and an example" to
generations of people in the party.
"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,.
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