The premier in the Senate for communications in view of the next European Council: “Italy’s maritime borders are the borders of Europe, the EU is called to defend them”. The words on Ukraine: “It’s childish to say that we steal money from Italians to send weapons, it’s a lie”
“I wrote to the European leaders to reiterate that we cannot wait any longer, we cannot wait helpless for the next shipwreck”. The Prime Minister said it in the Senate Chamber Giorgia Meloni, during communications in view of the next European Council on 23 and 24 March. “Italy’s maritime borders are the borders of Europe, which is called to defend those borders”, remarked the Prime Minister.
A “central theme” of the next EU Council is therefore “that of immigration, an issue that our government obtained to be discussed in large part at the last European Council. We are faced with an emergency that is becoming structural, is a definition that may seem like an “oxymoron is the snapshot” of what is happening. “We are witnessing unprecedented migratory pressure”, “as the Cutro tragedy clearly demonstrates”, immigration “is the first test ” for Europe, explained the premier.
Meloni believes that “adequate allocations” of European funds must be “dedicated to countering irregular flows along the routes of the central Mediterranean” as was done with Turkey.
Europe, he underlined, must respond to the challenges it faces, “with vision and timeliness” and “Italy has all it takes to play a leading role in the EU and not a supporting role”.
In the battle to be waged in Europe on the immigration dossier “I am sure I have the majority of Italians on my side, and I also hope to have the widest majority” in Parliament, “also of the opposition. Because, you see, the political battle can be waged effectively without portraying the opponent as a monster. There is a limit that should never be crossed, the limit which, in order to cast shadows on the opponent, ends up putting Italy in a bad light, also casting doubt on the work ” of the forces of law and order and of the police, of the navy, of the Coast Guard and of the financial police, despite the fact that “Italy is assuming responsibilities that would also belong to others”, but by striking Italy “we also end up weakening our negotiating capacity”, added Meloni.
“So fiercely criticize the government, me and the choices that this government is carrying out, our measures – says the premier – but stop for a second before damaging Italy, because this makes the difference”.
“Making the procedures for the repatriation of illegal immigrants effective is a theme that we have strongly addressed and that is very dear to Italy”, we cannot yet say we are satisfied with the results obtained. Compared to the “state of implementation of the agreements made 5 weeks ago – he added – Italy intends to reiterate that there is no longer a minute to lose: this is the moment to act, this is the moment to work on solutions”.
“We will ensure that” the European action on the migrant dossier “is effective, rapid and incisive: we no longer want to mourn the dead in the Mediterranean, we no longer want the entry of migrants to be decided by smugglers’ mafias”.
“I have seen a lot of controversy about the role that the conflict in Ukraine can play in destabilizing the African continent: these are issues that require concentration and attention. We have seen how the flows have been used as a weapon of blackmail, I am thinking of the borders between Poland and Belarus just before war broke out, I think it’s a particular situation that requires an in-depth approach,” he continued.
EU – “Italy’s voice is and will always be stronger in Europe in the coming years, because this is the mandate we have had. Italy wants to return to being a protagonist, also to strengthen and improve the European home”, he underlined, to then add: the new temporary state aid framework “must not create disparities and must provide for limited and temporary aid”.
UKRAINE – “This government has never made a secret of wanting to increase its military expenditure allocations, as indeed previous governments have done without the courage to put their face in it. We are not afraid to say that respecting the commitments undertaken is vital for the our credibility and national sovereignty”, said the premier then speaking at Palazzo Madama on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. “Freedom – remarked the prime minister – has a price: if you don’t defend yourself, others will, but not for free”. “I consider childish – he added – the propaganda of those who say that Italy spends money sending arms by subtracting resources from the needs of the Italians, it is false and we all know it in this House. Italy is sending” to Ukraine “weapons of which is already in his possession and which fortunately we don’t have to use, and we also send them to keep the war away from our home. Telling Italians otherwise is a lie that I intend to call by its name”.
“The pressure exerted on Moscow is fundamental to ensure respect for international law and favor the negotiation process for the achievement of a just peace”, conditions “which have not yet matured but which we must pursue with tenacity”, he then underlined.
“This government is used to defending the national interest: we have never made a secret of wanting to increase its appropriations in military spending, as previous governments did, perhaps stealthily, without putting our face on it. We stand up for it, convinced that respecting commitments is vital to protect national sovereignty. Freedom has a price: if you are unable to defend yourself, others will do it but they will do it by imposing a price”, added the premier.
GREEN – “The process towards the green economy must be socially and economically sustainable. This is why we oppose proposals such as the regulation on carbon dioxide emissions from cars and the directive on the energy efficiency of buildings”, measures which ” risk exposing us to new strategic dependencies just as efforts to free us from dependence on Russian gas are coming to fruition”, he said again.
Source-www.adnkronos.com