«Russia continues to bomb and Italy remains at Kiev’s side. Every effort for diplomacy»- Corriere.it

The attempted march on Moscow of Wagner
, with a retreat, which kept the world in suspense, did not end in anything: “It is the seismograph of an internal war, of internal struggles, of a boiling establishment that carves out space for even personal power”. And that “shows Putin’s obvious weakness”. But, says Guido Crosetto, defense minister and one of the founders of FdI, we must not delude ourselves: «Nothing has changed on the western front. Russia continues to launch missiles: it did so on Saturday too. This and not only this means that we must stay on Kiev’s side, but alongside help, we always need, and increasingly, the search for a diplomatic way out».

The minister talks about everything, from the difficulties of the majority in view of the 2024 vote on the Mes, on which “we need to reason with one watchword: pragmatism” trusting the Minister of Economy Giorgetti: «He is the best we have for following this and other delicate dossiers. It’s up to him to show the best way». Finally, the Santanché case: «Once again I have the clear impression that a part of institutional subjects who should deal with something else, use TV and newspapers for very specific purposes. AND I say to the jackals: be carefulbecause somewhere there is a dossier waiting for you too…».

Let’s start with chaos Russia. What happened?

«A clash between private militias, which have grown over time, and the public armed forces is going on. It is difficult for everyone to predict the outcomes and understand their profound logic, but one thing is certain: the events have highlighted a chronic weakness of Russia”.

There are those who say that Putin is weaker, who is stronger.

“We must be interested in what the consequences will be for us and for Ukraine. It is clear that the mediation is by Putin himself, through Lukashenko, but even if his image is tarnished, I wonder: is a wounded beast more tame or more dangerous because it is ready for disorderly reactions? Because the war, even in the last difficult hours, has never stopped. Therefore, even more today than yesterday, Ukraine needs our help, but it also needs everyone’s maximum effort for a diplomatic solution”.

Meanwhile, there is tension in the government: has the campaign for the European elections started?

“That would be absurd. We have the responsibility to govern the country in one of the most difficult moments for 70 years. And politics is always a compromise between what you want and what you can get.”

But is it true that Meloni, furious, threatens to bring everyone to the vote?

«I absolutely don’t believe it, she doesn’t think like that, she doesn’t take away the ball while playing. In any case, I don’t feel these terrible tensions we are talking about, I don’t live them. There is some tug of war, but I would worry if there weren’t a majority. They are physiological between allies ».

And the stalemate on the Mes?

«More serious matter, we are called to a decision. We had a historic position years ago, then the tool evolved. We must discuss among ourselves how much Europe considers the instrument necessary and how we in the centre-right see it as a coalition and as a government. We need to think about the advantages and disadvantages, without prejudice. It is true that those who have used this fund so far have come out massacred, but it is also true that today the rules are different, the Mes is also a tool for land crises, different from the past. This is why we need to sit down and think: Minister Giorgetti is better than the best European ministers, he knows things, the real risks, and it is up to him to explain his idea to the majority and indicate the path he deems right ».

What do you think of the Santanché case?

“I’m really fed up with this bad habit. Someone prepares a dossier with analytical, investigative and legal tools that even a good journalist cannot have and, without verification, a transmission – for Reports it’s not the first time — he relaunches it, the friendly newspapers ride it, everything gets pumped up and becomes political facts. I’ve seen it done a thousand times. I’m really fed up.”

Isn’t there an opportunity issue?

«I don’t know all the details, but whether or not the mechanism scares me: here there is a system in place to hurt the government through dossiers by parts of the institutions. And to those who loot, I invite you to reflect because – make no mistake about it – somewhere, unfortunately, there is a dossier (almost always invented) that awaits anyone in Italy with a little power, this happened to Renzi and many others, from every party. Until politics understands that whoever has the power to enter people’s lives must have controls, blockades, strict rules…”.

It’s a menace?

«Unfortunately yes, for democracy, seeing how things have been going for some time. It is a sad, worried and anguished observation.

Are you still in favor of a European alliance between the EPP and the Conservatives?

«Yes, I think that an alternative between popular and conservatives on one side and progressives and socialists on the other can give new life to a system stuck in an EPP-PES alliance that has created too many untouchable power groups completely detached from the real world , as evidenced by the decision on electric cars that favors only China. It’s time to move on to a real alternation. And to go back to representing what a changing society is asking of us».

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