Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the Confindustria assembly in Rome on Wednesday that she plans to “correct” the EU Green Deal, claiming its current form is damaging to European businesses.
Meloni agreed with Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini, who criticised the EU Green Deal as being flawed saying, “decarbonisation at the price of deindustrialisation is a debacle.”
“I thank him for being very clear about this, about the disastrous results stemming from the ideological approach of the European Green Deal,” she said.
Meloni said she confirmed the government’s “commitment to correct these choices.
“Do we want to say that it is not very intelligent as a strategy? We say it because we are friends of Europe and want to defend Europe’s industrial capacity.
“People who are friends of Europe must have the courage to say what isn’t working”.
Confidence in 1% GDP growth
Meloni also expressed confidence in Italy achieving its 1% GDP growth target for 2024, despite the European Commission’s forecast of 0.9%.
“I am confident that we can do better than the Commission’s forecast (of 0.9%),” Meloni told the assembly of Italian industry association Confindustria.
“I still believe that a 1% GDP rise is within reach, especially after the first two quarters (of 2024).
“Triumphalism would be childish, but this was not something that could be taken for
Focus on families
In addition, Meloni confirmed the government would continue its policy of focusing resources on families in the 2025 budget law, especially to reverse Italy’s declining birth rate.
She said, “We want to follow the same approach that we have had up to now,” focusing on job creation, strengthening family purchasing power, and defending public health.
“I want to be quite clear. We want to follow the same approach that we have had up to now,” Meloni said.
“(That means) budget laws inspired by common sense and seriousness, which concentrate the not-many resources available in supporting companies that hire and create jobs, in strengthening the purchasing power of families, with particular attention to families with children, not an ethical choice but an economic necessity, and in defending the citizens’ health”.
