Melons: "Italy doesn’t want to go to war. More taxes on those who speculate on fuel"

Forty-five minutes to reiterate that theItaly will not take part in the US and Israeli intervention in Iranuna crisis“among the most complex of the last decades which requires acting seriously”. And to ensure that thegovernmenthe is not “accomplice to other people’s decisions, nor isolated in Europe, nor guilty of the economic consequences that the crisis may have on citizens and businesses”.Giorgia Meloniintervenes in Parliament on the situation inMiddle East. The occasion is the communications to the Chambers in view of the European Council. “We are not at war and we do not want to go to war”, says the prime minister, who, addressing the opposition, asks for a “constructive and cohesive spirit”, asking them to “remove the discussion from a political polarization which, by trivializing – she claims – does not help anyone to think in depth”. “Here there is no government that avoids parliamentary debate”, he adds, addressing the minorities, who, however, only applaud him when he asks for the “responsibilities” of the “massacre of girls in Southern Iran” to be ascertained.

“It is in this context ofcrisis of the international systemin which the threats become increasingly frightening and the threats multiplyunilateral interventionsconducted outside the perimeter ofinternational lawthat we must also place theAmerican and Israeli intervention against the Iranian regime“, admits Meloni, in the Senate Chamber, alongside the deputy prime ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini. “We are faced with a clearcrisis of international lawand when one failsshared world order“, he reiterates. This has a “very specific turning point”, he underlines, namely theRussian invasion of Ukraine“the anomaly of the invasion of a neighboring nation by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, precisely of that body which should be the first guarantor of international law.global destabilizationthat resulted also had its repercussions inMiddle East.”

The use of Italian bases

In terms of the use ofItalian basesthe Prime Minister once again recalls how “they depend onagreementswhich have always been updated by governments of all colours” and that, “in the event that the request were to arrive, the decision would always be up to the government” but would be entrusted “to theParliament“. “I also reiterate, in the same way, that to dateno request was received“, he underlines, but “let me also clarify, once again: also theSpanish governmentwhich is much talked about, said through his spokesperson that ‘there is abilateral agreement between Spain and the United Statesand outside of that agreement there will be no use of the Spanish bases.’ Which means that the agreement is not questioned and that not all the issues are questionedactivities covered by the agreement. This is what Italy is also doing, and frankly it is surprising that this choice is condemned in the homeland and exalted in Spain by the same, identical, people. A bit of logic, from this point of view, wouldn’t hurt.”

The situation in Lebanon and Israel

“The situation inLebanon is delicate” and “the decision of a new onewar against Israelis wicked”, underlines Meloni, explaining that she felt withBenjamin Netanyahumanifestandogli “la Italy’s opposition to any escalation” without prejudice to theIsrael’s right to its defense“to the attacks ofHezbollah“. In Lebanon, he continues, “there are over a thousandItalian soldiers of the Unifil mission. La staff safetymust be guaranteed at all times, we reiterate the request to Israel”

Economic measures and prices

As for measures to soothe theeconomic consequences of the conflictthe prime minister anticipates that, at a European level, Italy is “asking, pending the announced revision, tourgently suspend the application of the ETSto the production ofelectricity from thermal sourcesthat is, fromthermoelectric“. “This is a measure that is needed immediately – he specifies –, and at least untilglobal prices of fossil energy sourcesthey will not return to pre-levelscrisis in the Middle East“. “About the currentincrease in fuel prices– he then underlines -, the message I want to give to Italians but also to anyone who might think of exploiting this situation to enrich themselves at the expense of citizens and businesses is: I advise prudence. Because we will do everything we can to prevent speculation on the crisis, including, if necessary, recovering the proceeds of speculation with onehigher corporate taxationthat they were responsible.”

International support and immigration

Still on the international front, the Prime Minister is keen to reiterate that theItaly’s support for Ukraine e, in tema di immigrationreturns to criticize the decisions of some judges. “Europe says clearly, in black and white, that theItalian government has every right to operate the centers in Albaniabecause the mechanism we have developed is in line with theinternational and European lawalthough I fear that for some even this will not be enough and the orders for revocation of transfers to Albania will not cease”, he states. They are “decisions which are not justified in Italian legislation, in European legislation or even in common sense”, he maintains, criticizing the revocation of transfers inCpr in Albaniaas, “in the recent case ofirregular migrantsconvicted of drug dealing, resisting a public official, sexual violence in competition, group sexual violence, and – it is very sad to have to say this – sexual violence on a minor, who according to the judges cannot be detained or repatriated because they have instrumentally requestedinternational protection“.