The tighter the bond between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the more Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini distances himself from the ‘Ursula majority’, using the farmers’ protests across Europe as an opportunity to renew opposition to “crazy” European policies.
The agricultural sector is in revolt all over Europe, including Italy. Farmers and breeders are mounting their tractors and moving ever closer to the centre of Rome, where a general demonstration is planned for Thursday. In addition, spontaneous protests are taking place in almost all regions.
Workers are angry about rising costs and imposed prices and are protesting against European policies that prevent them from making a profit on what they produce or even force them to produce at a loss.
“Hurray for the farmers, whose tractors are forcing Europe to go back on the follies imposed by the multinationals and the left”, said Salvini after the proposed legislation on pesticides was withdrawn in Europe.
The protest was immediately headed by Transport Minister and League (ID) leader Matteo Salvini, who is challenging current European policies and the European Commission presidency led by Ursula von der Leyen, who proposed on Tuesday to roll back pesticide regulation.
“The retreat announced by Ursula von der Leyen on the proposal to reduce the use of plant protection products in agriculture by half is a victory for the League and common sense”, claimed Lega MEPs Marco Zanni and Marco Campomenosi.
In the absence of alternatives available on the market that would guarantee low prices and production capacity,” they point out, “in November’s vote in the European Parliament, the League voted against the measure”, “making a decisive contribution to the rejection of the proposal and demonstrating that the so-called ‘Ursula majority’, torn apart by internal disputes and divisions, no longer existed.”
Zanni and Campomenosi criticised von der Leyen for putting forward proposals that were ideological, extremist and harmful to businesses, workers and families.
“They were wrong and unworkable. We have argued this from day one, the facts are proving us right. A clear change of course is needed in Europe to remedy the many mistakes of this Commission”, said the two Lega MEPs.
The League’s criticism also goes against the understanding between von der Leyen and Meloni, who have been working together since she took office more than a year ago on the issue of immigration and Meloni’s ambitions for Africa, so much so as to hint at Meloni’s possible support for a new “Ursula majority” after the European elections in June.
The suspicions have already been dismissed by the party directly involved, which claims to be working on an alternative majority: “I have never been ready to form a parliamentary alliance with the left, neither in Italy nor in Europe,” the prime minister clarified.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
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“Notre europe” list wants to bring EU closer to those working on ground at next electionsA dozen locally-elected representatives on the “Notre Europe” list for the European elections called in an opinion piece for a strong but decentralised Europe that is closer to the day-to-day concerns of local players.
Source: euractiv.com
