The deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, at the end of the pre-summit meeting of the EPP in Brussels, underlined that “what matters” for Italy “is to have a vice president and a series A commissioner”. For the leader of Forza Italia, our country “cannot fail to have a vice-presidency, it must be asked for and Italy has the right to have it, it was a mistake not to ask for it” in the last legislature. “We are a founding country and we have an important role to play,” he added.
“Don’t close the doors to ECR due to the EU majority”
Speaking about the alliances for the formation of the majority in the next EU legislature, Tajani stated: “I believe that the doors cannot be closed to the Conservatives because a reality as varied as the European Parliament cannot be closed in a three-way majority: the dialogue must be maintained “. Then the deputy prime minister explained: “We cannot make concessions to the Greens because we need a European policy in the fight against climate change which is not a fundamentalist policy, but which is a pragmatic policy.” The European People’s Party, he further explained, “will present two candidates: Ursula von der Leyen for the presidency of the European Commission and Roberta Metsola for the presidency of the European Parliament. This is fundamental for us”, highlighting the need to “keep the position of the Conservatives from that of Identity and democracy from that of the Greens”.
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“The EPP has doubts about Costa, he is not firm on Kiev”
On the appointment of the Portuguese Antonio Costa at the helm of the European Council, the Italian deputy prime minister underlined that “there are some doubts” on the part of the EPP “because some fear that he is not firm enough on the Ukraine issue. But the debate is open, we will see”. On the name of Mario Draghi for a possible appointment to a position among the new EU leaders, however, he specified: “Many names have been mentioned, but the names mentioned by the newspapers do not count. My name has also been mentioned, but it is not never been in the game.” Tajani also commented on the possible appointment of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, from the liberal group, as High Representative of the EU, explaining that it is important that this figure “takes into account the problems of the eastern border” of the EU, but also of what is happening ” in the Middle East and southern Europe”.
