Meloni meets Draghi and appreciates his ‘report’ on the future of European competitiveness

Cordial atmosphere at Palazzo Chigi during the meeting Giorgia Meloni and Mario Draghi. “Shared priorities”, “important ideas” in the former prime minister’s report on the topic of competitiveness, they underline in the government headquarters in the note issued at the end of the face-to-face meeting that lasted about an hour. The Prime Minister he had already cited the former number one of the ECB in his speech to Ambrosetti, expressing his satisfaction that an Italian was called by the EU to make his own assessments on competitiveness, the single market and the great challenges of Europe, “it’s a good thing”. Then there was the telephone conversation, with the invitation of the Prime Minister to a discussion. Today, after the head of the executive once again referred to the former Prime Minister (“As he correctly underlined – Meloni said this morning at the Confindustria assembly – Europe’s ambitious environmental objectives must be accompanied by adequate investments and resources, by a coherent plan to achieve them, otherwise it is inevitable that the energy and environmental transition will be at the expense of competitiveness and growth”), the conversation took place.

Also anticipated by a note from Marina Berlusconi who, in addition to rejecting the thesis of wanting to undermine the government (“The opposite is true”), also wanted to get other things off her chest. “They even go so far as to distort the content of meetings that are part of my role and my work, turning them into absurd secret meetings that would hide science fiction political plots“, explained the president of Fininvest regarding the recent meeting with Draghi, “all very fascinating, I admit: almost intriguing. But also – she observed – twenty thousand leagues away from the truth”. In the meeting between Meloni and Draghi, the need was also discussed that “Europe provides suitable instruments to achieve its ambitious strategies – from the strengthening of the defense industry to double transitions – without excluding anything a priori, including the possibility of a new common debt”.

Palazzo Chigi has underlined how Draghi’s ‘report’ contains “important ideas”, including the need for greater impetus to innovation, the demographic issue, the supply of critical raw materials and the control of value chains. And it has highlighted how between the former number one of the ECB and the prime minister there are “shared priorities that also reflect the work carried out by the government in Italy and in the European institutions”. The two, who have met several times also in the last legislature – beyond the positioning of Fdi in opposition there has always been mutual respect – will continue to discuss, “they agreed to stay in touch to continue to explore in depth” the matters on the table.