Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani said Monday that there is no risk of the
coalition supporting Premier Giorgia Meloni's government being
unsettled by the different choices the parties within it make at
the EU level.
Tajani's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) voted in favour European
Commission Ursula von der Leyen's re-election last week, but the
MEPs from Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and
Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League
voted against.
"Absolutely not," Tajani told reporters when asked if these
differences could have an impact on the government.
"It has always been clear that there are different positions.
"We belong to different families (at the EU level), but this has
no impact on the ruling majority or on the government's
activities.
"FI is always at the forefront on implementing the (government)
program without creating any turbulence.
"We intend to reach the end of the parliamentary term with a
centre-right majority. "I can reassure all Italians that there
will be no problem regarding the majority holding up".
The League hit back hard on Saturday at Tajani, who had said it
risked being "irrelevant" in Europe after voting against von der
Leyen.
Tajani was commenting on the fact that the right-wing Patriots
for Europe group that the League belongs to at the EU level did
not have any of its members elected as vice-presidents of the
European Parliament.
Tajani's Forza Italia (FI) is part of von der Leyen's
centre-right European People's Party (EPP).
The Commission president's re-election was also backed by the
Socialist S&D group, which Italy's centre-left Democratic Party
(PD) belongs to, the liberal Renew Europe group and the Greens,
but not by Meloni's Conservative ECR group.
"Voting with Schlein in order to get a position is
embarrassing," League sources said referring to PD leader Elly
Schlein.
"It's better to not have any vice-presidents than to be with the
Greens and the Left".
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