Premier Giorgia Meloni has not been
excluded from EU talks on top jobs and ruling coalitions and
Italy must be well represented on the new European Commission,
Dutch Prime Minister and newly nominated NATO chief Mark Rutte
said Thursday.
Meloni "is not excluded" from the EU appointments and "we must
ensure that Italy feels well represented in the new European
Commission and beyond", Rutte said on the sidelines of the
European Council.
"Once every five years the leaders of the Twenty-Seven represent
mainly political parties, while during the five years we
represent our countries," Rutte explained, stressing that
Meloni's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) grouping
"was not involved in this negotiation because many in the
'majority' coalition of popular, liberal and socialists think
that the Conservatives cannot be part of it."
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, one of the EPP
negotiators on top jobs, said he had spoken with Meloni and that
there was no desire to exclude her, for whom he had the utmost
respect.
"Three political families discussed among themselves and made a
proposal, in the end it is up to the European Council to make
the decision," he said.
"It is not a process to exclude, it was never our intention to
exclude anyone or offend anyone.
"I personally have a lot of respect for Giorgia Meloni, the
Italian prime minister.
"Italy is a very important country in the EU and I am sure we
will address all these problems and concerns in the discussions
we will have".
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