Premier Giorgia Meloni has written a letter to European Commission President von der Leyen to complain after the publication of the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report.
The letter said some media articles about the parts in the report regarding Italy were “clumsy and specious attacks that can only take hold in the desolating context of recurrent use of fake news that increasingly pollutes the debate in Europe.
“It is unfortunate that even the Commission’s Report on the rule of law in the EU, particularly regarding freedom of information and public service broadcasting, has not been spared by professionals of disinformation and distortion,” writes Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Her strongly worded statement is directed at the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to refute any suggestion “that in Italy, the rule of law is at risk, especially concerning freedom of information and public service broadcasting.”
Meloni condemns what she describes as “clumsy and specious attacks,” “fake news,” and unacceptable interpretations by some media, accusing them of distorting the Report’s contents for political purposes to undermine the Italian Government.
Meloni, currently in Beijing for a bilateral meeting with her counterpart Li Qiang, issued the letter to “Dear Ursula” to assert that there has been “no interference in the governance of Rai.”
Government sources explain that following the European report, certain press outlets and opposition parties have misused it to paint Italy as a country where fundamental freedoms, such as the right to information, are at risk.
Meloni: Rai governance appointed by previous administration
Meloni immediately clarifies there is no connection between her remarks and those of President Mattarella during the Ventaglio ceremony regarding freedom of information and the independence of public service broadcasting.
She rejects the notion “that the RAI governance system does not guarantee the full independence of public service, which would be subject to excessive political interference.”
She points out the current governance system of Rai was established by Matteo Renzi in 2015 when the PD was the majority party, with the Brothers of Italy in opposition, disadvantaged by this rule for years.
Furthermore, Meloni notes the current top management of Rai was appointed by Mario Draghi’s government, at a time when Brothers of Italy was the only opposition party excluded even from the Rai Board of Directors.
She adds that Parliament has not yet been convened regarding the new Board appointments, partly because an agreement with allies has not been reached.
Departure of journalists was “normal market dynamics”
Addressing another issue, Meloni states the departure of several journalists and presenters from Rai did not result from a change in editorial line but from “normal market dynamics.”
She clarifies some presenters left Rai before the new CEO’s arrival, while others chose to pursue new professional or editorial experiences, despite the company offering them continued presence in the schedules.
Meloni also notes the rules on equal opportunities remain unchanged from past electoral competitions, allowing governments to inform citizens about their activities without including institutional information in the calculation of equal opportunities times.
Meloni concludes with a pointed remark against the opposition: “On behalf of the Italian Government, I reaffirm our commitment to ensuring full respect for the founding values of the European Union in Italy and Europe. We are dedicated to advancing free information, combating fake news, and promoting pluralism in public radio and television services, after decades of blatant political division.”
No mention of defamation law by Meloni
Meloni focused all her complaints against the points where the EU highlighted a perceived freedom of press issue. She did not mention the report’s criticism of the lack of progress on reforming Italy’s defamation law, one of the most severe in Europe.
This has been repeatedly highlighted by the EU in its annual reports.
Meloni has been busy applying the defamation law to anyone who is too vocal in criticising her on a more personal level. Notably, a journalist was fined earlier this month for tweets in which she referred to Meloni’s height (the PM is reportedly only 1.57m tall).
The report also focused on the justice system, warning that attacks on the country’s judiciary risked its authority and reputation.
The full country chapter of the EC’s 2024 Rule of Law Report details the position on various reforms.
