Rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI)
leader and likely future premier Giorgia Meloni and centre-right
Forza Italia (FI) leader and three-time ex-premier Silvio
Berlusconi held peace talks in Rome on Monday after the
coalition partners had a massive bust-up.
Media billionaire Berlusconi described Meloni as "presumptuous,
over-bearing, arrogant and offensive" last week in written notes
photographed by the media after FI failed to back FdI bigwig
Ignazio La Russa in the election that saw him become the Senate
Speaker due to mounting friction over the composition of the new
government.
Meloni, who is set to become Italy's first woman premier after
FdI spearheaded the right-wing coalition's victory in last
month's general election, hit back by saying Berlusconi had
forgotten to put "not susceptible to blackmail" on the list that
was screenshot by la Repubblica daily.
The tension caused by Meloni's vetoes on FI ministerial
candidates including Berlusconi loyalist and pasionaria Licia
Ronzulli as justice minister reached the point that there was
even talk of FI going to consultations on the formation of the
new government with President Sergio Mattarella alone, rather
than as part of the right-wing coalition that also includes
Matteo Salvini's rightwing League party.
But Meloni and Berlusconi reportedly spoke on the telephone on
Sunday and then met at FdI's Rome offices on Monday as they
sought to patch things up.
Milanese businessman turned politician Berlusconi, 86, arrived
at the FdI's historic headquarters in via della Scrofa alone and
was personally met by the 45-year-old plain-speaking Roman
Meloni in the courtyard there.
The two leaders have both dismissed talk of tensions between
them over the cabinet list that Meloni is expected to present to
President Mattarella later this month.
On Sunday Meloni said the centre-left opposition should "come to
terms" with the fact that the coalition she leads "will lift
Italy back up".
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