(Rome) New Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni firmly anchored Italy at the heart of the EU and NATO on Tuesday, a month to the day after concern arose over the historic victory of her post-fascist party Fratelli d ‘Italia in the legislative elections.
Posted at 6:23 a.m.
Italy is “fully part of Europe and the Western world”, she forcefully affirmed on Tuesday during her general policy speech to the deputies.
Mme Meloni, who has pro-Russian partners in his coalition, including League chief Matteo Salvini and Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi, promised that Italy would remain “a reliable NATO partner in support of Ukraine, which is oppose Russia’s aggression.
“Caving in to (Russian President Vladimir) 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 those that we have known in recent months, ”she said.
As far as the European Union is concerned, she explained that the Italian approach was not to “stifle and sabotage European integration” but to make the Community machine work better.
“Italy will respect the rules” European, also assured Mr.me Meloni, even if Rome also wants to “help change those that don’t 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.
The speech of M.me Meloni, the first female head of government in Italian history who took office on Sunday, will be followed by a vote of confidence on Tuesday evening in the Chamber of Deputies and Wednesday in the Senate.
The successor to Mario Draghi, to whom she also paid tribute in her speech, is sure to win confidence since her coalition has an absolute majority in both chambers.
Colossal debt
While inflation is raging, she has undertaken as a “priority” to “strengthen support measures for households and businesses, both for energy bills and for fuel”. “A financial commitment that will drain a large part of the available resources,” she acknowledged.
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.
Paradoxically, while his party had camped in frontal opposition to the government of Mario Draghi, his program is in line with that of the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), at least in the economic field.
It has in fact entrusted the crucial portfolio of the Economy to a former Minister of Mr. Draghi, Giancarlo Giorgetti, representative of the moderate wing of the League.
Its approach aims to reassure the markets as well as Brussels and the European partners of the third largest economy in the euro zone, whose growth depends on the nearly 200 billion euros in subsidies and loans granted by the European Union within the framework from its post-pandemic recovery fund.
These funds depend on a series of reforms, ranging from justice to the digitization of public administration, to be implemented by 2026.
This windfall is essential for a country whose debt reaches 150% of GDP, the highest ratio in the euro zone after Greece, and which should enter recession in 2023, according to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund.
The many challenges awaiting his government are therefore essentially economic, starting with inflation and the public debt.