The beginning of the round of consultations to form a new government led by Meloni is clouded by the statements of his partner in defense of Putin
Italy has been a support for Ukraine since the invasion by Russia began last February, but the situation could change with the imminent political change that Mario Draghi’s departure as head of government implies. After the resounding victory of the conservative alliance in the elections on September 25, this Thursday the round of consultations begins in which the head of state, Sergio Mattarella, will finish, except for surprise, by commissioning the formation of the new Executive to Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right party Fratelli d’Italia (FdI, Brothers of Italy) and winner of the recent elections by achieving 24% of the vote. Meloni and her cabinet ministers could be sworn in on Saturday or Sunday and submit to the pertinent investiture votes in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate early next week.
Although the prime minister ‘in pectore’ has repeated on numerous occasions that she is going to maintain support for kyiv in the face of Moscow’s aggression, her ally Silvio Berlusconi, leader of Forza Italia, has caused great controversy when some statements came to light his to a group of parliamentarians in which he boasts of his friendship with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and blames his Ukrainian counterpart, Volódimir Zelenski, for the conflict. Having allegedly “tripled” attacks on pro-Russians in Donbas in recent years, Zelenski would have triggered the invasion ordered by Moscow. In a conversation with a group of parliamentarians from his party revealed by the Lapresse agency, Berlusconi presents a Putin almost forced to invade Ukraine to respond to aggression in kyiv. The war, according to the four-time Italian prime minister, would have dragged on because of “the resistance” of the Ukrainians, who “from the third day began to receive weapons and money from the West.”
These controversial words by Berlusconi came to light after other similar statements of his were known the day before, in which he boasted of having “resumed” the relationship with the Russian president, who had sent him as a birthday present a few weeks ago “20 bottles of vodka” and a “very sweet” card. The tycoon responded with another letter in the same tone and bottles of Lambrusco wine.
Fed up with her partner’s outbursts, Meloni affirmed on Wednesday that her Executive will have “a clear foreign policy line”, forming part “with its head held high in Europe and NATO”. In a warning to Berlusconi, he pointed out that whoever does not agree with “this principle will not be able to form part of the Government, at the cost of not forming the Government.” With her in power, Italy “will never be the weak ring of the West,” he guaranteed.
Topics
Mario Draghi, Silvio Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Volodimir Zelenski, NATO, Europe, kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, War in Ukraine
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