New Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday firmly anchored Italy at the heart of the EU and NATO while rejecting any “proximity” to fascism, a month to the day after her far-right party’s historic victory.
New Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday firmly anchored Italy at the heart of the EU and NATO while rejecting any “proximity” to fascism, a month after her far-right party’s historic victory. right-wing Fratelli d’Italia in the election and the disturbance it has caused.
Italy is “fully part of Europe and the Western world”, she forcefully asserted on Tuesday during her general policy speech to MPs.
“I have never had any sympathy or closeness to anti-democratic regimes. For no regime, including fascism”, also insisted on underlining that she was an admirer of Mussolini in her youth, even if in August she assured that the right had “relegated fascism to history”.
The first female head of government in Italy’s history also promised that Italy would remain “a reliable NATO partner in support of Ukraine, which opposes Russia’s aggression.”
These statements are clearly aimed at placating partners in Brussels and Rome, while Ms Meloni has pro-Russian partners in her coalition, including League leader Matteo Salvini and Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi, a personal friend of Vladimir Putin.
“Those who think it is possible to trade our calm for the freedom of Ukraine are wrong,” she assured from the semi-circle stand, standing in her black suit.
“Caving in to Putin’s energy blackmail would not solve the problem, it would make it worse, paving the way for further claims and blackmail and future energy (price) increases even greater than we have seen in recent months.” she said.
Regarding the European Union, she explained that the Italian approach was not to “impede and sabotage European integration”, but to make the Community machine work better.
“Italy will respect the “European rules”, Ms. Meloni also assured, even if Rome also wants to “help change the ones that don’t work”. The EU is “a common house to face challenges that member states can hardly face alone”, she added, judging that the EU has not done enough in this area in the past.
“Anyone who thinks” about the mistakes of the EU “is not an enemy or a heretic, but someone who wants to contribute to a more effective European integration to face the great challenges that await him”, said Ms. Melon.
Ms Meloni’s speech, which took office on Sunday, will be followed by a vote of confidence on Tuesday evening in the Chamber of Deputies and then on Wednesday in the Senate. She is certain to win as her coalition has an absolute majority in both chambers.
Tax cuts
As inflation runs high, she has pledged as a “priority” to “strengthen support measures for households and businesses, both on energy and fuel bills”.
“A financial commitment that will dry up a large part of available resources,” she admitted as debt reached 150% of GDP, the highest ratio in the eurozone after Greece, and Italy is set to enter recession in 2023. .
“The solution to reduce the debt is not blind austerity (…) but sustainable and structural economic growth,” argued the prime minister, whose speech was regularly interrupted by applause.
Inflation rose 8.9% year-on-year in September and Italy was particularly affected by the energy crisis due to its dependence on Russian gas imports.
See also
At the same time, she wants to “reduce the tax burden on companies and families”, while “the excessive weight of taxation is one of the main obstacles to the creation of jobs and the competitiveness of our companies in international markets”.
Regarding the windfall of nearly 200 billion euros in grants and loans given by the European Union as part of its post-pandemic recovery fund, she vowed to spend it “at best negotiating with the European Union Commission the necessary adjustments (…) in the light above all of the increase in commodity prices and the energy crisis”.
On illegal immigration, a far-right warhorse, she asserted her government’s desire to “stop illegal departures (from Africa, editor’s note) and end human trafficking” from the Mediterranean .
ljm-glr/week
Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (c) addresses the Parliament, flanked by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani (r) and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini (l), on October 25, 2022 in Rome
• Andreas SOLARO
The new Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Parliament, October 25, 2022 in Rome
• Andreas SOLARO
Italy: Meloni denies any “sympathy” or “closeness” to fascism
• Giovanni RAW
