In a speech to the Senate on Wednesday, prior to the vote of confidence in her Executive, the Italian Prime Minister has bet on resuming the extraction of Italian gas to «free» the country from an «unacceptable» energy dependence.
«Medium-term measures are needed to free Italy from an unacceptable energy dependence. I am thinking of natural gas extraction. I believe that national resources must be used as Europe is asking for,» he explained.
Meloni has pointed out that «there is a small opportunity» for the south of the country, stressing that this area «is the energy center of Europe», while explaining that it is necessary to stop speculation. «We will continue to put pressure on Europe to give common answers,» he said, as reported by the AndKronos news agency.
The leader of Brothers of Italy has focused on the energy emergency, as well as the crisis in the supply chain resulting from the pandemic. «We will never be ready to move from dependence on Russian gas to dependence on Chinese raw materials,» she has said.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian Prime Minister stressed that the Italian government has «always recognized the value of science», although it has not shared some of the decisions that were taken because they did not have «scientific evidence», according to the newspaper ‘La Reppublica’.
«It was a mistake to prevent unvaccinated 12-year-old children from not doing sports when the scientific community was not unanimous. Sport would have been good for them», exemplified Meloni in view of the measures taken by the previous Italian Executive.
Meloni has also put the focus on the Italian economy, indicating that it is necessary to start «with the cutting of the tax wedge». «Of course it has an important cost and it is a medium-term commitment,» he added.
«The spending schedule of the national plan foresaw that by December 31 this year we would have spent 42 billion. The Economy and Finance Document (DEF) updated the figure to 33.7 billion (and) forecasts 21 billion by 2022, less than half. Did it all work out? Maybe not. That’s why we are taking on the responsibility to also speed up the implementation of the plan,» he promised.
Likewise, the Italian Prime Minister has pointed out that «the fight against bad work is a priority», since «the minimum wage risks being a red herring and not a solution». «We have to start by reducing the tax wedge,» she reiterated.
RAINBOW FLAGS The Prime Minister has been critical of the situation in Ukraine and has assured that «peace cannot be achieved with rainbow flags» in the squares, in a clear allusion to the demonstrations that have been held against the war.
«Unless you want to tell me that peace is obtained by surrender, peace is obtained by continuing to support Ukraine, allowing it to defend itself», she specified during her speech, adding that «a balance» is necessary in the negotiations to achieve peace.
In this regard, to the comments of the leader of the Five Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte, who reproached in the debate in the House of Representatives the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, of having «conflicts of interest» on the sale of weapons, Meloni has replied, «Why, when he was Prime Minister, did he not sell the Italian defense companies that produce weapons?».
The new government of Giorgia Meloni, of Brothers of Italy, passed the day before the vote of confidence in the Italian Chamber of Deputies with 235 votes in favor and 154 votes against. Now, the Senate will have to give the ‘green light’ to the new Executive.
