Meloni, the Mes and the “negotiating” move claimed in the counterattack speech – Corriere.it

A strongly vindictive discourse, full of prideattack. With a central point for each chapter: Italy, in Europe, will always fight for defense of interestas “not always happened in the past”, because his government was born for this and to carry forward this idea of ​​Europe and international relations.

On the eve of the European Council, Giorgia Meloni makes her statements in the Chamber, to be deposited in the Senate to then hold the debate, and she does so with an eye on all the items on the agenda.

Earning the convinced applause of his marjoram and a bipartisan one when he thanks our soldiers engaged abroad. Immigration, common defense, Ukraine, economic development, governance of Europe, inflation management. These are the key issues on the table on which the prime minister has every intention of making herself heard. Because she, she repeats her twice, in spite of the «doomsayers» with the centre-right government not only thereItaly has not “remained isolated in Europe» or fallen «into instability», but is more «solid and credible».

The central theme at the EU summit will be theimmigration and the Italian position is reaffirmed: checks on arrivals, redistribution, but above all «aid to Africa». A battle in which his party is desperately committed and which is always held high as a flag.

However, it is on the side of war and on the economic one that Meloni beats his fists on the table. He will continue, he promises, help and proximity to Ukraine, not only because it is right but because “if the force of arms prevailed over that of the law, Italy and Europe would be the first to lose”. And this position – he is proud of – has given prestige and weight to Italy.

The transition to the Mes is essential, the tool for dealing with financial crises that Italy, the only one in the EU, has not yet adopted, not out of pique, Meloni suggests, but because it is negotiation tool of an overall package: «I do not consider it useful for Italy to fuel an internal controversy on the Mes. Italy’s interest is to face the negotiation on European governance, where the overall discussion is in respect of our national interest. Even before a question of merit there is one question of method on how to defend thenational interest».

And national interest, for the premier, is also that stop the escalation of therate increase. After the criticisms of Tajani and Salvini at Lagarde who has announced another one for July, Meloni warns: it is true that inflation is a problem to be faced, which affects the weakest and fixed incomes, but since the crisis is not the daughter «of an economy that grows too fast, but of endogenous factors, first of all the energy crisis» caused by the war in Ukraine, «the rate increase can do more damage of inflation”.

And again, we end up with two passages of pride and vindication: Meloni asks that he be constituted «a European fund for the sovereignty of states» and reclaims the historic battle of the right for the self-sufficiency of Italy and Europe. Not a remnant of autarkic slogans, he suggests, but the challenge of the new right: «We must not have dangerous addictions. It serves the defense of our supply chains», especially towards China. And it is no coincidence that he chooses a tribute to the military abroad to close. What no one in the hemicycle can afford not to applaud.

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