Italy’s Deputy PMs disagree over the place of the EU. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Sunday that Europe must strengthen rather than break apart in today’s global climate. In contrast, fellow Deputy PM Matteo Salvini wants to challenge VdL’s defence plan.
“We are working to make Europe more and more everyone’s home,” Tajani said at a Forza Italia (FI) event in Florence ahead of the European People’s Party (EPP) congress.
“We need to build, not break things up, in order to defend the interests of half a billion people.”
Tajani’s pro-EU stance often clashes with the Euroscepticism of fellow Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, Transport Minister and League leader. Their differences have been clear in their reactions to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s ReArm Europe plan. Tajani welcomed the initiative, while Salvini criticised it.
“Forza Italia is in excellent health,” Tajani said.
“We are the third biggest party in Italy, the second biggest in the centre-right.
“We are loyal to the government, but we will never give up our ideas, we will not bend down when it comes to defending our values.”
On Sunday, Salvini’s League party said it would push its right-wing Patriots group at the EU level to challenge von der Leyen’s Readiness 2030 defence plan.
“The League is ready to propose an initiative to invite EU Commission President von der Leyen to review the 800-billion defence plan to its Patriots’ allies,” the League said in a statement, referring to von der Leyen’s plan, previously called ReArm Europe.
“European citizens deserve investment in jobs, health and internal security.
“We do not need huge investments to buy ammunition, or a stillborn rearmament plan.
“The League hopes for a broad, in-depth debate in the Chamber (of the European Parliament), a debate that the German Von der Leyen wants to avoid at all costs.”
Recently, PM Meloni said the name ReArm Europe is misleading.
