Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni insisted that her government would be at the core of the EU in a speech on Tuesday (25 October) that played down her party’s euroscepticism and links to the far-right.
In her first major speech as Italian Prime Minister, Meloni sketched out the priorities of the new government and its European policy, telling the Italian Chamber of Deputies that Italy would continue to be a cooperative partner within the EU and NATO.
In a speech that appeared designed, at least in part, to assuage concerns from Italy’s EU neighbours that she will run a eurosceptic and far-right government, Meloni told Italian lawmakers that “Italy is fully part of Europe and the Western world,” and would “continue to be a reliable partner of NATO in supporting Ukraine.”
Mario Draghi, her predecessor, had been a vocal supporter of Ukraine.
Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party topped the polls in last month’s general election with 26% and has formed a government with the League party and Forza Italia.
Meloni also stressed that her government does not want to slow down or sabotage European integration but, in a nod to her party’s nationalist stance, called for more “unity in diversity”, emphasising that “Italy will respect all existing rules” while contributing to change those which did not work.
She criticised the idea of a Europe with two classes of members, or a bloc which focuses only on taking care of public finances – a reference to the Stability and Growth Pact which sets limits on government debt and deficits.
Brothers of Italy is a successor party to the far-right Italian Social Movement, and Meloni stated she had “never felt sympathy or closeness to undemocratic regimes … including fascism.”
Although Meloni campaigned on the promise of introducing a string of tax cuts and new spending, she quickly backtracked, instead indicating that she would pursue neither austerity nor “fiscal adventurism”.
Her economy minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, is seen as a more moderate member of the League party who was the economic development minister under Draghi. Meanwhile, Roberto Cingolani, who served as energy minister in the Draghi government, will stay on as an adviser.
A government divided?
However, cracks have already emerged in the government’s unity.
League party leader Matteo Salvini, who is deputy prime minister and minister for infrastructure, took to Twitter on Monday evening to set out promises to lower the pension age, extend a flat tax and finally build a long-discussed bridge between mainland Italy and Sicily, which he said would create 100,000 jobs.
Last week, Meloni’s coalition partner, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, was recorded on video describing his close friendship with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Along with continued government support for Ukraine, Meloni also praised the deal on energy struck by EU leaders, adding that this represented a first step that needs to be implemented quickly to avoid both speculation and national policy measures that would “undermine the single market.”
Elsewhere, Meloni has backtracked from demanding the re-write and renegotiation of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, instead calling for minor changes to be agreed upon with the European Commission to take stock of energy and raw materials price increases.
She stressed the importance of implementing the programme, which will see Italy receive nearly €200 billion in grants and loans, the most of any EU country, both with regard to investment and to the reforms needed to boost competitiveness and growth.
That represents a significant change of tack since Brothers of Italy’s MEPs voted against the €750 billion EU recovery several times in the European Parliament.
[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]
Source: euractiv.com
