ROME. On one thing Enrico Letta and Giorgia Meloni agree: «It is surreal to say that the Ukrainians have to surrender – says the president of Fratelli d’Italia -. At stake is the role and the very values of the West. If Ukraine capitulates, it would be a domino for the West ». Letta nods. The leaders of the first two Italian parties, the polls say, have returned to debate publicly, a form of mutual respect that, over the months, has generated suspicion and ironies, “we look like Sandra and Raimondo”, Meloni said after yet another meeting . This time, the occasion was the presentation of the Freedoms at risk research, hosted by the FareFuturo foundation, whose president, Adolfo Urso, explains the point that unites the two leaders as follows: “Read in the center-left, and Meloni in the center-right, appear as those who they can guarantee the international position of our country in Europe and in the Atlantic Alliance, beyond political divergences ”. Meloni is keen to emphasize that there is no turning point, “the Italian right has been Atlanticist for 70 years”.
Handshake and smiles behind the goggles, but this time the differences prevailed, on Italian issues, but also on the war, starting with the hypothesis of stopping the purchase of gas from Russia, advanced by Letta and reiterated yesterday, “with that money Moscow massacres the Ukrainian people “and rejected by Meloni,” without energy our industries risk seriously, it would be suicide. Letta, without ever raising the tone, then attacked Meloni on the alliance of FdI with Viktor Orban, who last Sunday won the elections in Hungary: “A disgrace for European integration” noting how the compliments for the electoral victory are arrived “alone three leaders: Putin, Salvini and Meloni”. In short, respect, but little feeling.
In the League there are discontent over Salvini’s line, considered by some to be too weak in condemning Putin, in the meetings with the leaders the leader claimed the choice to speak of peace, inspired by the words of Pope Francis, but the split between the soul clearly Russian thread and the Atlantic one is coming to light, albeit in a debate that remains purely internal. Forza Italia’s position is clearer: “The horrible images of the violence committed in Bucha provoked the sacrosanct reaction of the West and the European Union,” said Vice President Antonio Tajani, during his speech at the plenary of the European Parliament. In Strasbourg an Italian deputy, Francesca Donato, elected with the League and expelled for her No Vax positions, questioned the authenticity of the Bucha massacres (documented by dozens of independent journalists) asking for a commission of inquiry. The Vice-President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno, Pd, replied: “This room is not equidistant and cannot be the megaphone of unacceptable positions”.