Former premier Silvio
Berlusconi said Monday that if he is prevented from running by
an office ban on a tax-fraud conviction, Veneto Governor Luca
Zaia of the Northern League could be the centre right's
premiership candidate in an upcoming general election. But Zaia
shot down the idea, which has been aired before, saying "there's
already a candidate and that is Northern League leader Matteo
Salvini". Berlusconi, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia
(FI) party, is hoping that his ban will be lifted by the
European Court of Justice. But if that does not happen, or not
in time to run, he has suggested Zaia, who is governing Veneto
along with FI. But Zaia was adamant, speaking at a press
conference with Salvini, the leader of his anti-immigrant and
anti-euro group. "Enough of this manouevre around me," he said.
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