The renewed team
Berlusconi, in an interview with The Corriere della Seraunderlines: “Any positions taken by individuals only represent individual opinions and sensitivities. Alessandro Cattaneo’s move is not a punishment, it is a rationalization, while we wanted to recover the experience and wisdom of Paolo Barelli”.
Tajani will remain vice president and coordinator
“Tajani – he adds – will undoubtedly remain vice president and coordinator. His operational capacity, his international authority, his coherence and his balance make him an essential point of reference, in his government roles such as in Forza Italia. And moreover, after thirty years of working together, we really love each other very much”.
The relationship with Meloni
A less controversial line with Giorgia Meloni and suggested by her daughter Marina and Marta Fascina? “I have a relationship with my wife and daughter made up of love, esteem and total trust: therefore, as is natural, we often talk about politics and their advice is precious. But FI’s political line and operational choices are exclusively my responsibility. As for the relationship with Prime Minister Meloni, “it is marked by the utmost loyalty, personal esteem, sincere friendship”.
The war in Ukraine
On Ukraine, Berlusconi reiterates that the line does not differ in any way from that of the Italian government. “Naturally this does not prevent me – he observes – from hoping that this tragic war will end as soon as possible and that we will return to the reasonableness of diplomacy”.
Surrogacy
On civil rights, “FI has always guaranteed freedom of conscience on ethically sensitive issues”, but the line is that “surrogacy is an unacceptable practice wherever it is practiced. I hope that this matter is free from any partisan exploitation”.
The tragedy of Cutro
About the shipwreck of CutroBerlusconi declares: “It is a truly tragic story, but I don’t feel like attributing responsibility to anyone. In such a dramatic situation, it was objectively very difficult to intervene. Rescuing a boat in a stormy sea is a very different thing from a living room discussion about what could have been done.”
Reduce departures
“Having said this, I add that we must do everything possible to ensure that similar tragedies never happen again: those at sea must always be rescued, with all possible means, but at the same time we must create the conditions to reduce or eliminate departures, as had made my government in 2010, when only 4,400 migrants landed in Italy in one year”.