Italy : Meloni attacks Brussels
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has rejected the EU Commission's criticism of the state of press freedom in her country. In a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, she defended herself against the accusations and criticised certain media, describing them as "stakeholders" who had influenced the Commission. Commentators weigh in.
A big step away from the EU
Meloni is moving further and further to the right, writes La Repubblica:
“Instead of responding to the Commission's objections, Meloni dismisses the report on the grounds that it reflects anti-government opinions and says 'nothing new'. Hence the first mistake lies in the choice not to respond to or explain or make things understandable, and instead to delegitimise, even ridicule, the EU Commission's report in the eyes of the Italians. In terms of communication this approach puts Meloni close to the leader of the Lega, Matteo Salvini, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, i.e. far-right politicians who stand out in Europe for openly challenging the European institutions, always and on everything, even on such a sensitive issue as the rule of law.”
A frontal assault on anti-government media
Meloni has targeted individual newspapers, complains Corriere della Sera:
“In her opinion, the EU Commission's report contains 'critical remarks from some stakeholders', in other words, interest groups. Who are these stakeholders? 'Il Domani, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Repubblica,' she replied. A frontal assault that gushed onto Italian websites and triggered fierce reactions and controversy. According to the prime minister the report contains nothing new compared to previous years, and if it has caused such a stir, it's because it has been 'instrumentalised'. Not by the Commission, but by those in Italy who are against their government and who - something Meloni didn't say - denounced the attacks on journalists.”