Opposition parties in Italy blame the country’s ruling coalition for a deep split after two key votes in the European Parliament and Italy, according to Euractiv.
The government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, Matteo Salvini’s Lega and Forza Italia parties voted in a disjointed manner. In Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted to approve the new European Commission.
Forza Italia, an EPP member, supported the vote. Fratelli d’Italia also backed the Commission, signalling a move away from its previous opposition to Ursula von der Leyen. On the other hand, Salvini’s party Lega joined his EU group, Patriots for Europe, and voted against the Commission.
In Italy, meanwhile, tensions were caused by amendments proposed by Lega to reduce the licence fee for the state broadcaster Rai from 90 to 70 euros. Forza Italia unexpectedly joined opposition parties in rejecting the amendment, leading to its defeat. However, Meloni dismissed the controversy over the licence fee vote.
“These are skirmishes. I don’t see anything particularly serious…”
Opposition leaders criticised the government for its divisions. M5S leader and former prime minister Giuseppe Conte spoke out on X social platform:
Divided in Europe, on foreign policy and today also in Parliament, with the majority that does not have the numbers in the Commission and is losing: the unity professed by Meloni is another science fiction film shot in Chigi. The Prime Minister should clarify whether the majority still exists.
Conte also pointed out Meloni’s sharp turn towards von der Leyen. He recalled that Meloni had previously stated that “there will be no alliance with the left in Rome and Brussels,” but then she voted with the centre-left in favour of the Commission.
“Meloni had said ‘never with the left in Rome and Brussels’ and instead today she voted with the center-left in favor of the Von der Leyen Commission. She betrayed the voters.”
Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, meanwhile, said that “the divisions are obvious.”
They’re in chaos, too busy fighting each other to govern the country.
