Meloni at a press conference: “The government will not change its position on Ukraine, out of respect for the Lega.” And Salvini walks out

The government’s position on aid to Ukraine will not change. This was stated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a press conference at Palazzo Chigi, whilst presenting the budget. “I think that Lega secretary Matteo Salvini – to whom I clearly offer my congratulations on his re-election at the party congress – has every right, and indeed a duty, to highlight the sentiment and mood coming from his grassroots supporters,” she said in response to a question about the difference in views. “That said, we are all in agreement on the issue of peace in Ukraine, but the prevailing view is that the best way to ensure that peace is to continue supporting Ukraine. So I do not foresee that consensus changing, not least because this sentiment has been expressed on several occasions in the past, and we have, of course, always managed to reach a consensus.”

“Incidentally, in the Council of Ministers,” continued Meloni, “among the myriad measures we have approved, there was also the extension of the state of emergency, which allows us to send aid to Ukraine. So I feel quite confident that the government, which has taken a clear stance on this, can move forward. That said, I have great respect and pay close attention to what a very important party in the coalition has to say.” At the end of her reply, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini stood up and left the press conference.

During the press conference, the Prime Minister also answered a question about Youssef Siher’s release from prison. When it was pointed out to her that, in the video posted on social media, Meloni had cited the creation of the PhD chat groups as the cause of the unrest in Milan on 17 October – when in fact the groups the young man is accused of creating, as well as the messages, only appeared the following Monday – the Prime Minister, visibly annoyed, apologised: “In the video, I used the wrong tense for a verb. The tense I should have used was ‘of the violence, of the demonstrations that had led to the devastation’. Instead, I did indeed get the verb wrong and said that they led to the devastation. I apologise.” 

But then, on the subject and regarding the allegations raised by the Milan court, he said: “I have seen the responses issued by the National Magistrates’ Association. Let me say one simple thing: I do not see what I said as an attack; I see it as a defence. A defence of the work I know has been done by all civil servants who have worked with enormous dedication to prevent a repeat of what we saw on 17 October. And it did not happen again, and I regret that this work is being undermined.” And again: “So I do not believe that saying this is out of line, as I have read. Frankly, it seems to me that something else is out of line. Like saying ‘anyone who doesn’t jump on the Meloni bandwagon is…’. That’s not my tone and it’s not my way of doing things, but I have a duty to defend the work I’ve seen so many people carrying out this weekend, because we want to protect decent people from violence, devastation, destruction – from what we’ve seen. That is what I said and that is what I reiterate.”