Musk's man in Italy blasts coverage of SpaceX story

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 7 - Andrea Stroppa, Elon Musk's Italian representative, on Tuesday blasted media coverage of reports that were subsequently denied of an agreement between the Italian government and the world's richest man's SpaceX company.
    The premier's office on Monday denied that any contracts had been signed or deals discussed when Giorgia Meloni paid a flying visit to US President -elect Donald Trump in Florida at the weekend, with Musk also present, describing such reports as "ridiculous".
    "You read the newspapers this morning, didn't you?," Stroppa said via X.
    "The tenor is 'Musk is a baddie, Meloni a sellout".
    The opposition has accused Meloni of selling Italy cheaply and jeopardising national security by handing over the management of the government's telecoms security to Musk's Starlink satellite system.
    While Meloni's office emphatically denied the reports of a deal with Musk, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said such a deal would be a great opportunity for Italy, and Musk said he was ready to provide Italy with enhanced connectivity.
    In a further statement Monday, Stroppa criticised Italy's involvement in the European consortium for the Ariane 6 launcher, saying Rome had paid 500 million euros and has only a 3.4% stake.
    He said the system was "born old" and was dogged by technical problems. (ANSA).