New Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday firmly anchored Italy at the heart of the EU and NATO, affirming her support for Ukraine and rejecting any “proximity” with fascism, a month to the day after the victory history of his Fratelli d’Italia party in the elections.
Italy makes “fully part of Europe and the Western world”she said forcefully on Tuesday during her general policy speech to the deputies, who then, at the start of the evening, voted confidence in her government.
“I have never had any sympathy or closeness to anti-democratic regimes. For any regime, including fascism”she denied.
The first woman to lead a government in the history of Italy also promised that the country would remain “a reliable partner of NATO in support of Ukraine which opposes Russian aggression”.
These statements are clearly aimed at reassuring Brussels and Rome’s partners, as 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 that it is possible to exchange our tranquility for the freedom of Ukraine are mistaken”she assured from the tribune of the hemicycle.
“Caving in to Putin’s energy blackmail wouldn’t solve the problem, it would make it worse, paving the way for further claims and blackmail and future energy (price) increases even bigger than what we have known in recent months, she judged.
Regarding the European Union, she explained that the Italian approach was not “to slow down and sabotage European integration” but to make the community machine work better.
“Italy will respect the rules” Europeans, she also assured, even if Rome also wants “contribute to change those that do not work”.
The EU is “a common house to face the challenges that Member States can hardly face alone”she added, judging that the EU has not done enough in this area in the past.
“Who Wonders” on EU defects “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 it”said Ms. Meloni, who took office on Sunday.
A vote of confidence must take place Wednesday in the Senate, where the Prime Minister also has an absolute majority.
“Reduce the tax burden”
As inflation rages on, she pledged, but without going into details, to “strengthen support measures for households and businesses, both for energy bills and for fuel”.
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader of the 5 Star Movement (ex-antisystem, opposition) castigated a speech where “citizens haven’t heard a single word about solutions to their exorbitant bills or the energy crisis”.
Inflation increased by 8.9% year on year in September and Italy was particularly affected by the energy crisis due to its dependence on Russian gas imports.
The peninsula is expected to enter recession in 2023 when its debt reaches 150% of GDP, the highest ratio in the euro zone after Greece.
“The solution to reduce the debt is not blind austerity (…) but sustainable and structural economic growth”advanced the Prime Minister, whose speech was regularly interrupted by rounds of applause.
At the same time, she wants “reduce the tax burden on businesses and households”whereas “the excessive tax burden is one of the main obstacles to job creation and the competitiveness of our companies in international markets”.
On the windfall of nearly 200 billion euros in EU grants and loans from its post-pandemic recovery fund, she pledged to spend them “at best by negotiating with the European Commission the necessary adjustments (…) in the light especially of the rise in the prices of raw materials and the energy crisis”.
On illegal immigration, she affirmed her government’s desire to“stop illegal departures (from Africa, editor’s note) and put an end to human trafficking” in Mediterranean.