Tajani: "Never heard a word from Berlusconi against Meloni"

The meeting between Marina Berlusconi and Mario Draghi? “It’s about the head of a large company meeting the author of an important document on competitiveness. It doesn’t seem like big news to me”. Antonio Tajani, interviewed by La Stampa, pours oil on the fire of the background and observes that “Draghi, I imagine, will have several meetings of this type. Nobody should worry”. To those who point out that the rumours tell a story Berlusconi family dissatisfied with government the deputy prime minister and FI leader responds by saying: “It’s not like that, I assure you.”

“I often talk to them and – he adds – I have never heard a word against Giorgia Meloni. After all, a large company has a natural propensity for political stability”.

Antonio Tajani looks at the delays in the renewal of the Rai top management, observing that “it has been like this every time, there are no particular problems” and confirms the indication of Simona Agnes to the president of public television: “For us his remains the only candidacy and not only for the name he carries, but for the great work he has done”.

“Forza Italia, after the appointment of the top management, is ready to discuss the reform of Rai. We will discuss it with our allies, but in the meantime the Board of Directors must be elected with the current rules. And then we will decide on the president. You – he reiterates – are the name we are banking on”. Are you also banking on Giampaolo Rossi as CEO? “Rossi – the FI secretary replies again – is a good manager, I have no prejudices against anyone”.

The Berlusconi brothers are friends with whom I often speak and they are the sons of our founder, but the party decides autonomously

 

Taxation of the returns extra profits of the banks“I’m not aware of this,” notes Antonio Tajani.

“Giorgetti – he observes – has also recently denied wanting to make an intervention of this type and has never told me that he has changed his mind”. In any case, again interviewed by La Stampa, the deputy prime minister and FI secretary clarifies that “we will never vote for a measure like that presented and then modified in the summer of 2023. The banking system is now healthy but small institutions must be protected”.

“Minister Giorgetti – he repeats – has excluded this hypothesis. It is obvious that banks should contribute to the repayment of public debt, but not with a tax of that type”. When asked if this is a request from the Berlusconi family, Tajani says: “Absolutely not. The Berlusconi brothers are friends with whom I often speak and they are the children of our founder, but the party decides autonomously”.

“On extra profits – Tajani points out – we fought, last summer, a battle of our own which I hadn’t even spoken about with Marina Berlusconi. Only afterwards did she say she was against that decree, speaking as an entrepreneur”.