A fake video, reposted on social media by Donald Trump, featuring a fake news report about Giorgia Meloni's intentions to break with the EU over tariffs and reduce Italy's commitment to Kiev. The Democratic Party (PD) has launched a series of attacks, demanding clarification from the prime minister. Palazzo Chigi (Prime Minister's Office) is attempting to defuse the controversy: tariff negotiations are a Brussels prerogative. If it was a communications short-circuit, the one coming from the US has created quite a stir in Italy and a fair amount of embarrassment at the highest levels of government, on the day the government became the third-longest-serving in the history of the Republic.
The video is still "pinned" on the X profile LynneP, traced back to activist Maga Lynne Patton: it starts like a TV news report, with a breaking news announcement and fast-paced music, and reports that regarding tariffs, "after a private meeting with Trump, Meloni said she will do what's best for Italy, not the EU." And what's more, the fake report continues, the prime minister says she's ready to "scale back her commitment to Ukraine."
The Prime Minister never uttered these words. But the fact that Trump shared the video on his social media platform, Truth, is more than enough to raise suspicions. This is also because for hours the government hasn't explicitly censored the matter: neither the video nor the American president's social media action. So the opposition is attacking. The Democratic Party (PD) is calling on Meloni to shed light on the matter : "She can't pretend nothing is happening. She must clarify which side Italy is on and whether it is destined to be Trump's outpost to break up the European front and definitively weaken the European Union, which is not just an economic partnership, but also, and above all, a political pact between states that share values, rights, and freedoms." "They act like patriots and then work to break up the European Union, doing Trump a huge favor," Avis criticized Peppe De Cristofaro. Meloni is expected to address the issue directly in Parliament on Wednesday, during her briefings to the Senate and Chamber of Deputies on the eve of the European Council, where the conflict in Ukraine and competitiveness will be at the center of discussions among the leaders.
"We have always worked with the EU, and thanks to Italy, we have been able to make some important progress. And we work in perfect harmony with Commissioner Šefčovič," explained Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Shortly thereafter, sources at Palazzo Chigi intervened to clarify that "the trade negotiations—as is well known—are being led by the European Commission, as this is the Union's exclusive competence."
The same sources explained that "bilateral discussions have been underway for some time, alongside the Commission's action, regarding the anti-dumping duties proposed by the Department of Commerce against some Italian pasta producers." "A dialogue is underway with the US to further improve the import tariff system for the US, which currently stands at 15%," emphasized Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. On this issue, Brussels confirms, "the European Commission is working closely with the Italian government." Rome also remains aligned with its European partners on the Ukraine issue, according to leaks from senior government officials.
And there will be two opportunities for discussion this week, before the long-awaited Budapest summit announced by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. First, the European Council, then a new meeting in London of the willing, the coalition led by Great Britain and France, which the Prime Minister is expected to attend via video link, perhaps directly from Brussels if the meeting lasts more than a day. Furthermore, the first-ever EU-Egypt summit is scheduled for Wednesday in Brussels. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be there, having just hosted the peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh and is preparing a conference on the reconstruction of Gaza in Cairo in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, on November 1st, also in Cairo, he will receive Meloni, guest of the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.
(Unioneonline)
