Meloni at Masseria di Vespa: “Schlein says we are authoritarian? So he keeps losing”

Giorgia Meloni attack the opposition. He does it from the Masseria di Bruno Vespain Puglia: “They want to prevent a minister from speaking”, he says referring to the protest against the minister Eugenia Rockella at the Turin Book Fair. “I am amazed – she continues – that the secretary of the Democratic Party says that we are allergic to dissent: if she confuses dissent with authoritarianism we have a problem. I exclude that the Italians believe that we are in an authoritarian regime”. And again: “I know that the concern of the secretary of the Democratic Party is real, not instrumental, she is really worried”, she replies ironically to Vespa’s question. “I want to reassure you: the center-right has always defended the freedoms of citizens, families and businesses, we are demonstrating this and the Italians understand it”.

Rule of law

The prime minister, together with many politicians, is in Puglia as a guest in the Masseria of the Rai host for the third edition of the forum ‘L’Italia chevenire’. Meloni also spoke about migrants, the economy and Europe. “I work to strengthen Europe as a whole. Nobody should be pushed away, but on the contrary, to get closer. I want to strengthen a civilization based on equality and democracy. We need to pay attention to the issue of the rule of law. I’m starting to see that the issue of the rule of law also arises in Italy: let’s try to be sensible. It is possible that the rule of law is a way of striking governments that are out of tune with the mainstream”. Meloni also speaks about the governments of Poland and Hungary (on their historical allies in the EU), for some time in the sights of the European Commission precisely because of the reforms contrary to the rule of law: “As regards Poland and Hungary, they are younger democracies than ours, because when the Second World War ended they were abandoned to the Soviet game Yes, there is work that needs to be done to strengthen those democracies and accompany them, and I am ready to do it because Europe is not an A and B club but above all a civilization”. Her words come the day after the vote in Brussels on the asylum pact, signed by Italy and rejected by Hungary and Poland. And she admits: “Yes, there is work that needs to be done to strengthen those democracies and accompany them, and I’m ready to do it because Europe is not an A and B club but above all a civilization”.

Migrants and EU policies

As regards the agreement reached yesterday in the EU, the prime minister says that “many steps forward” are being made because – she explains – “when I arrived at the first European councils, I posed a simple theme: as long as we only deal with secondary movements, we the problem on top of each other and we don’t solve it. By now the paradigm of the vision is shared by other European countries, even those that have been more skeptical”. Regarding the Mes, the European state-saving fund, the premier says she has not “changed her mind”. On the contrary, he relaunches: “It makes no sense to ratify the reform when you don’t know what the new rules on the Stability and Growth Pact provide for, with respect to which, I must say, I don’t very much agree with the EU commission’s proposal”. And she adds: “Are we sure it would be requested by someone? Certainly not by us, at least as long as I’m in government.

The reforms

On internal issues, Meloni speaks of autonomy and presidentialism. “The constitutional reform is the greatest economic reform for this nation. I trust in the sense of responsibility also of the opposition, of the intermediate bodies. It is a modernization challenge for Italy. If instead they say no because they want to go to government without having won the elections then let’s go in front of the Italians with the referemdum”. A warning launched to the opposition, that of the prime minister, which is fused with the reassurances about the risks of differentiated autonomy advanced by the minority and by the unions. “It is not taking away from one region to give to another, but a principle according to which if a Region governs its resources well, the State takes into consideration the possibility of giving it other matters to govern. Regions are not discriminated against, it is a principle that makes governors and political classes accountable: it can be frowned upon by those who have governed badly or have failed to spend European money. It is a model that calls everyone to their own responsibilities. I always believe in merit and responsibility. Those who have worked well do not has nothing to fear”