Premier Giorgia Meloni is defending
Italy "tooth and nail" in the EU, Relations with Parliament
Minister Luca Ciriani said Wednesday amid intense negotiations
over the new European Commission ahead of Thursday's vote in the
EU Parliament on whether EC President Ursula von der Leven
should get a second term in charge of the EU executive.
It is uncertain what the MEPs from Meloni's right-wing Brothers
of Italy (FdI) and the Conservative ECR group it belongs to will
do when it comes to the vote.
The premier was furious that the ECR group she chairs was left
out of the negotiations for the EU top jobs.
But there is speculation Meloni may get her MEPs to vote for von
der Leyen and give 'external' support to the new EU executive if
she gets policy concessions and Italy is given a Commissioner
with an influential post.
Von der Leven had a meeting with ECR representatives on
Wednesday at which a "structural collaboration" between the
group and the incoming executive was ruled out.
The Commission chief and the Italian premier are expected to
talk on the telephone before the vote.
Meloni and the ECR are reportedly looking for the new Commission
to adopt a tougher stance on migrants and for changes to the
Green Deal, with a more gradual approach to the ecological
transition.
"I am not able to exclude anything," Ciriani told Skytg24 in
relation to Thursday's vite.
"I know Meloni's determination and ability very well: she will
not give any free votes, the role of Italy and ECR will be
defended tooth and nail.
"We are the only stable government that came out stronger than
before from the European elections, we are a great country and
we ask to be respected.
"We do not ask for the centre-right (coalition) to be respected
but for Italy's role be respected.
"Italy is a founding EU country, a G7 country, and the
second-largest manufacturing economy in Europe.
"It cannot be kept on the sidelines of the European Commission".
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