Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, reaffirmed his strong pro-European stance during a meeting in Pietrelcina. The event, focused on Europe’s Christian roots, comes ahead of the European People’s Party (EPP) congress in Valencia in April.
Speaking about Forza Italia’s objectives as a member of the centre-right EPP, Tajani said: “We confirm our identity: freedom, solidarity, the centrality of the person.”
“We confirm our Europeanism and we call on all of the country’s moderates to also strengthen Italy’s role in Europe.
“Europe is key to building peace and to being a great protagonist in the future, towards the United States, our main interlocutors, to deal with China, India and the Russian Federation.
“We Italians need Europe to feel safer and more protected and there are no alternatives to being pro-Europe,” he said.
Speaking on the eve of Germany’s political elections, Tajani also expressed his confidence in Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz. “I am convinced that Germany’s safety lies in the victory of the future chancellor (Friedrich) Merz,” he said.
He dismissed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), stating that it “cannot win” and “is against Italy, wants it to leave the eurozone and cannot be useful for our country.”
Salvini takes different stance
However, the other Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, took a starkly different approach. On Saturday, he endorsed the far-right AfD, echoing Elon Musk’s controversial support for the party. Writing on social media, Salvini linked the election to a violent incident in Berlin, where a 19-year-old Syrian man allegedly stabbed a Spanish tourist at the Holocaust Memorial on Friday.
“Blood and terror in Berlin, again perpetrated by an immigrant,” he wrote.
“After years of hosting without limits and fake tolerance, Europe cannot ignore the mortal dangers brought by mass immigration, as said by Donald Trump and JD Vance,” Salvini continued.
“Meanwhile tomorrow, luckily for them, the Germans vote and can change.
“Elon Musk is right: only AfD can save Germany,” he wrote, referring to Musk’s repeated support for the German far-right party. Musk is currently serving as Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency in US President Donald Trump’s second administration.
