Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday
hailed the stability of her government, saying it was a break
with past Italian administrations, as she addressed the Atreju
festival organized by her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI)
party in Rome.
“This government’s stability, stemming from the solidity of
ruling coalition, is the greatest element of discontinuity and
the greatest element of strength in the current framework,”
Meloni said.
“Stability guarantees international credibility and the
authoritativeness that it is not possible to produce prosperity
without”
Italy first woman premier also thanked her government allies,
saying she was confident of working with them “for years to
come”.
She also spared a thought for her former ally, late ex-premier
and Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi.
“In two years we have created almost one million more jobs,”
Meloni said.
“Silvio Berlusconi, who has made a million jobs a flagship
pledge, would be proud to know that the government he helped
create did this in two years”.
Meloni also pledged that her government’s controversial
agreement with Tirana to process migrants in Italian-run centres
in Albania will be a success despite the legal setbacks that
have held up the scheme.
“The centres for migrants in Albania will work, even if I have
to spend every night there from now until the end of the (term
of the) Italian government,” Meloni said. “Because I want to
fight the mafia and I ask the whole Italian State and decent
people to help me fight the mafia.
“I am not the enemy, I am a decent person,” added the premier,
raising her voice to applause from the crowd.
Italian judges nixed the detention of the first two batches of
Egyptian and Bangladeshi migrants taken to the Albanian centres.
Meloni also announced that she was stepping down as the
president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
group that her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party belongs
to.
“When I was asked to extend my term until the (EU) elections (in
June), I agreed,” Meloni told the festival.
“Now that the elections have taken place, I think I have
fulfilled my duty and I want to announce that I am going to
resign as president of the European Conservatives”. She said the
group “deserves to have a president who can deal with it full
time”. Meloni added that she expected former Polish prime
minister Mateusz Morawiecki of the Law and Justice (PiS) party
to run and would back him if he did.
Deputy Premier, Transport Minister and League leader Matteo
Salvini said Sunday that he was ready to govern with Meloni for
the rest of the current parliamentary term and the whole of the
next one.
“It’s an honour to work with her,” Salvini said via video link
to the Atreju festival. “When political closeness, affection and
friendship are combined with work, no one can come close.
“Let’s continue until 2027 and, health permitting, make a
reservation until 2032. “Over the last two years and two months
(in government) we have worked very well together.
“We have developed a working relationship that is also one of
friendship, in spite of the ill wishers and journalists who look
for problems even when there aren’t any.”
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