Premier Giorgia Meloni held her end of year press conference on Thursday. She said she was “tired” of opposition charges of ‘familism’, reform of bureaucracy is needed, and constitutional reform does not remove power from President, amongst other things.
At the end of year press conference, which a number of journalists boycotted, Premier Meloni spoke about a number of pressing items on the political agenda for 2024.
Reform of the bureaucracy and of the justice system in order to shorted procedures are two priorities for the coming year, she said.
“The stratification of problems ranging from the issue of red tape to the time frame for justice is an issue.”
“Many would invest in Italy if we had more certainty,” she continued. “I think the reform of bureaucracy and justice are two reforms that are needed,” she added, saying they are “two of my priorities for next year”.
Tired of familism accusations
After appointing her sister Arianna national coordinator of her right-wing party, and naming her brother-in-law farm minister, Meloni responded to opposition calls of familism.
“This accusation of familism is starting to get on my nerves,” she said. “In the current legislature there are two married couples both on the left, the Democratic Party and the Italian Left, which has a group of eight people, so the couple makes up 25% of the party and there has never been an accusation of familism.
“You know that when you dedicate so much time to politics people become friends, whether husband or wife, but it doesn’t take away from the value of the militant”.
“My sister has been a militant of Brothers of Italy (FdI) for 30 years, maybe I should have put her in a state-owned company as others do, but instead I put her to work in my party”.
Constitutional reform does not undermine Presidential powers
Meloni denied that constitutional reform introducing direct election of the premier would take power away from the head of state.
“I do not see in what way the direct election of the head of government means taking power away from the head of state and seeing as we have chosen not to touch the head of state’s powers,” Meloni told reporters.
The constitutional reform bill has been approved by the government and is now before parliament regarding introducing the direct election of the premier by the Italian people.
“In my opinion it creates a balance that is a good balance, it strengthens the stability of governments,” she added.
“This is not a referendum on the government or on Giorgia Meloni, but on what must happen next,” continued Meloni.
Under the current system in Italy, parties engage in government-formation talks after a general election. If there is a coalition that forms a ruling majority in parliament, it agrees on a figure to propose to the President of the Republic to become premier.
That figure is not necessarily one of the politicians given by the parties as their premier candidate during the election campaign.
The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) has slammed the proposed reform as “dangerous”, saying that it “weakens parliament and the prerogatives of the President of the Republic”.
Competition Law demurrals by President “will not go unheeded”
Observations from President Sergio Mattarella that accompanied his recent enactment of a competition law “will not go unheeded”, Meloni said in response to a question.
“I will make my evaluations together with the other majority parties and with the ministers.”
On Tuesday, Mattarella promulgated the law on competition but accompanied it with demurrals. He asked the government to act to bring norms on street traders, whose contracts are almost automatically renewed every 12 years, into line with EU rules advocating greater competition for licenses.
The head of State said that “further initiatives by the Government and Parliament are indispensable in the near future”.
Mattarella likened his action to what that of last year regarding a law on beach concessions. The government amended the measure after his criticism of the initial decree.
The competition law is aimed at boosting competition in the Italian economy through a variety of measures.
Meloni undecided as to run in European parliamentary elections
Meloni says she has “not yet decided” whether to run in upcoming European parliamentary elections.
“I need to understand if my possible candidacy would take away time from my job as prime minister,” Meloni told reporters at the end-of-year press conference.
“I think it is a decision that needs to be taken with the other leaders of the majority,” she added.
“I make the choices, I take responsibility”
Giorgia Meloni said in her end of year press conference that she preferred to “go home” rather than accepting other people’s choices.
“I see attacks and they think they can scare you if you don’t do what they want. But I’m not someone who scares easily, and I prefer 100 times to go home, they’re dealing with the wrong person,” she told journalists.
“There are those who think that they can steer choices, but that doesn’t work with me, I’m the premier and I make the choices, and I take responsibility for them”.
