Meloni defends the reforms: "Differentiated autonomy will strengthen national cohesion"
He defines the reforms of the institutions "the most important thing that can be left as a legacy for the future". And he defends the differentiated autonomy desired by the League from criticism: "Unlike what is said, it will strengthen national cohesion". Giorgia Meloni speaks in connection with the Trento Festival of Economics and reiterates the agenda of the majority: "FdI is for presidentialism and the League for Autonomy: presidentialism and autonomy are in the center-right's program that we have been wanting to carry out for years trivially because there the citizens have asked for it and once the citizens have expressed themselves we must do them". Even if there are "different times", he underlines, "we will do them by the end of this legislature".
The stakes on the reforms
On presidentialism, he once again underlines the stakes compared to the confrontation with the other political forces: "We listen to everyone but we start from two principles that are essential for me: the stability of governments and legislatures, which is the most powerful thing that can be built economically; and the respect for citizens' votes, article 1 of the constitution, sovereignty belongs to the people". On the other hand, on autonomy, he takes care of managing the internal balance of the center-right after the diplomatic incident in the Senate that irritated the minister Robert Calderoli. And he specifies: "We will introduce the essential levels of performance, which are the real element of cohesion and we will strengthen the skills of those regions that know how to spend money better". With a footnote to shift the jab towards the opposition: "I'm not surprised that those who tear their clothes against differentiated autonomy in recent years have failed to spend billions of European funds".
Trento Festival, Meloni: "Wedge cutting better than the minimum wage". Students occupy Sociology
by our correspondent Rosaria Amato
Relations with France
On the other delicate front of the first months of government, the foreign one of relations with France, despite the repeated tensions, the premier denies that there is a conflict: "I find it amusing and a little childish the reading that is given of the relations between Italy and France.The relationship with Macron is marked by concreteness. The fact that there are criticisms from other countries sometimes means that Italy is doing well. Relations between Italy and France are historically strong, two countries that have convergent interests on many dossiers". And he adds: "the fact that various governments of different political backgrounds from ours feel the duty to criticize us does not mean that there is a problem, it means that the government is doing very well. A certain narrative risks being dismantled and this is a problem that some have, not with us, but with their internal opposition".
