Base on Reuters news agency report, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has announced that a diplomatic adviser quit their position because of a prank call mishap.
Ms Meloni’s office recently acknowledged that she had a conversation with a Russian comedian who pretended to be a senior official from the African Union.
Ms Meloni fell for the prank and said that many people around the world were tired of the war in Ukraine. She also said that Italy didn’t get much help from European countries when it comes to handling migration.
The phone conversation happened in September.
Ms Meloni said that her assistant left the job on Friday. She said, “The situation was not handled well, and we are all sorry. Ambassador (Francesco) Talo accepted responsibility for it. “
Tag: Giorgia Meloni
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Italian Prime Minister aide resigns following AU prank call incident
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Giorgia Meloni publicly ditches partner over inappropriate remarks
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who values her family above all else, has ended her relationship with her partner, a TV journalist. This decision was made after he made inappropriate and disrespectful comments. He not only grabbed his private area, but also made indecent suggestions to his co-host for engaging in sexual activities involving three or four people. As a consequence of his behavior, his television show has been temporarily taken off the air.
Meloni used social media on Friday to say that she and Andrea Giambruno are no longer together. Andrea is also the father of their 7-year-old daughter.
“I am ending my relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted nearly ten years,” Meloni wrote. This comes just two days after a video of his inappropriate behavior during a commercial break of the popular Striscia la Notizia program on Mediaset became widely shared online.
I am grateful to him for the great years we had together, for the challenges we faced, and for giving me the most important person in my life, our daughter Ginevra.
Giambruno’s agent announced on Friday that he and Mediaset decided to stop his show after the scandal. He did not sit in the anchor chair when they recorded the Friday afternoon show. Mediaset said they are looking into the truth about Giambruno’s actions.
In the video, Giambruno talks to a woman on the TV show and asks her if she has a boyfriend. She says she does and that he already asked her that question before. The video was recorded during a break in the show and posted on their social media and website.
Then he asks if she wants to have sex with multiple people. He asks if she is okay with him touching himself while talking to her, as shown in the video from the program. The person helping to host the show is looking down at the desk while talking.
Mediaset, which used to belong to Silvio Berlusconi, a politician who has passed away, has been heavily criticized for showing content that is sexist. Additionally, it frequently shares videos that show what goes on behind the scenes of their popular TV show.
In Meloni’s post on social media, she wrote: “We have been going in different directions for a while now, and it’s time for us to accept that. ” I will protect our past relationship, our friendship, and I will protect a little girl who loves her mom and dad, even though I couldn’t love my own parents.
According to Meloni’s autobiography, her dad had a problem with drugs and went to jail. Several members of her political group, including Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini and Interior Minister Antonio Tajani, as well as her own political party Brothers of Italy, posted messages of support expressing empathy for her personal suffering.
She said, “I don’t have anything else to say about this” and asked her critics not to take advantage of her personal problems.
Giambruno made the prime minister feel ashamed by saying that the gang rapes of young women could have been stopped if the girls didn’t drink alcohol.
“He said on his TV show that if you go dancing, you have every right to get drunk. ” The TV show was canceled by Mediaset after a video of his actions became public this week.
“But if you don’t get drunk and pass out, maybe you won’t get into trouble and you’ll be able to find the solution. ”
When asked about Giambruno’s comments on violence against women, Meloni said that people didn’t understand what he meant.
People haven’t understood him correctly. I believe that the press should have the freedom to say what they want, and I don’t control or dictate what they say.
Meloni has faced a lot of criticism for her emphasis on traditional families, even though she herself is not married to Giambruno. She has also been criticized for trying to restrict the rights of same-sex parents by making surrogacy illegal and removing one parent’s name from birth certificates in cities where her political party is in power.
Attempts to contact Meloni’s spokespeople and political party through phone calls, text messages, and emails to get their comments went unanswered. Giambruno did not respond to a message. Mediaset’s public affairs office said that his show was stopped, but didn’t say why. -
Giorgia Meloni ends relationship with spouse after obscene comments
Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Italy, has said that she and her partner Andrea Giambruno have ended their relationship.
She posted on social media that she and her partner broke up, shortly after a TV show aired inappropriate comments made by the TV host off-camera towards female coworkers.
Ms Meloni said that the relationship, which lasted for almost 10 years, is now over. Our lives have been going in separate ways for a while. It’s time to accept and recognize it.
The couple met in 2015 and now they have a seven-year-old daughter.
In her message, the Italian leader also thanked Giambruno, who is 41 years old, for the amazing years they shared, the challenges they faced, and for giving her the most precious thing in her life, their daughter Ginevra.
She said, “Anyone who tried to harm my family should know that even though a small amount of water might try to damage a rock, a rock will always stay strong while the water is not as strong. ”
Giambruno got in trouble recently when a funny TV show, Striscia La Notizia, aired some comments he made off-camera. In the comments, it seemed like he was trying to woo a female coworker by telling her she is smart. Why didn’t I get to meet you earlier.
On Thursday, more private comments were accidentally aired, where Giambruno asked a coworker if she was single or in a relationship where seeing other people is allowed.
He talks proudly about cheating on his partner, claiming that everyone at his TV company, Mediaset, knows about it. He also makes inappropriate comments about engaging in sexual activities with multiple people.
Giambruno asked if they would like to join their group, a group that works together.
When someone else asks, “What if Striscia has recorded you. “, he said, “What did I say that’s so bad. We were having fun, joking with each other. ”
The journalist hasn’t mentioned anything about the prime minister’s social media post or his comments that were made off-camera.
But he has caused trouble before. A couple of months ago, Giambruno made a statement about a case where a group of people raped someone. He said, “If you choose to go dancing, you have the right to get drunk. ”
But if you don’t drink too much and pass out, maybe you can also prevent getting into certain troubles because that’s when you encounter the danger.
Giorgia Meloni, who is 46, explained that her words were misunderstood and requested that reporters do not blame her for the statements made by a journalist while working.
She strongly believes in traditional Catholic family values and does not support same-sex parenting.
Alessandro Zan, a Member of Parliament from the Democratic Party and supporter of LGBTQ rights, stated that “let families who want to stay together in peace, at the very least. ”
Her friends also used X, which used to be called Twitter, to show that they support her. Matteo Salvini, who is the deputy of the person mentioned, expressed his support, friendship, and encouragement by saying, “I am sending you a big hug. Stay strong and keep moving forward. ”
Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, told Giorgia that he was sending her a hug.
Mediaset used to belong to the late Silvio Berlusconi, who was accused by his critics of lowering the standards of Italian television with a culture that showed favoritism towards men and promoted sexist behavior. -
Andrea Giambruno received criticism for his comments about rape in Italy
Italian TV presenter Andrea Giambruno has faced criticism for suggesting that young women could prevent rape by avoiding getting drunk.
Giambruno, who is the partner of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was speaking about recent reported incidents of group assaults in Italy.
In Sicily, seven men were accused of sexually assaulting a teenager. In a town near Naples called Caivano, it is said that six young people raped two cousins.
Giambruno now claims that his comments were misunderstood.
The Prime Minister, Meloni, has announced that she will go to Caivano on Thursday to support the residents after a terrible attack. Caivano has been facing problems with drug trafficking and organized crime controlled by the mafia.
The mother of one of the two girls sent a letter to Ms Meloni through her lawyer. The letter said that their family was being threatened and harassed by people in their neighborhood in the Parco Verde area of the town.
Recently, a 19-year-old lady who was attacked at an empty construction area in Palermo, Sicily shared on social media that she has moved out of her home and is now staying in a safe place for people who have experienced violence.
Her attackers recorded a video of the gang rape, and she is clearly having a difficult time dealing with the aftermath. She is saying that she is trying hard to overcome some problems in her mind, but she pretends like nothing happened and continues to smile.
Giambruno talked about gang rape on a TV channel called Rete 4. He criticized the rapists and compared them to wolves while talking to a newspaper editor.
“He said that if you go dancing, it’s okay for you to get drunk. ” If you don’t get drunk and pass out, you might not encounter certain problems because that’s when trouble can arise.
What he said made people angry.Martina Semenzato, in charge of a government investigation about violence against women and femicide, stated that there is no excuse for sexual violence and it is never the victim’s fault.
Chiara Gribaudo, a politician who leans towards the political center-left, accused him of placing blame solely on the victims. She expressed that instead of solely instructing women on how to avoid rape, he should focus on educating men, who are the real perpetrators.
Chiara Ferragni, a popular social media influencer, expressed on Instagram that women do not have issues with wolves, but rather with men.
Giambruno said that his critics are using his words unfairly and for their own gain. “He clarified that he never stated that men have the freedom to sexually assault women who are intoxicated. He mentioned that before his statement, he emphasized that such behavior is extremely horrible and done by inhuman individuals. ”
His partner, Ms Meloni, who is also the mother of their young daughter, has chosen not to publicly comment on the outcry.
Parish priest Maurizio Patriciello walks with politicians and activists at a demonstration to support victims of sexual violence on August 29, 2023 in Caivano.
Two hundred individuals came together in Caivano to support victims of sexual violence, alongside parish priest Maurizio Patriciello.
She decided to go to Caivano after the mother of one of the girls wrote a letter saying she didn’t feel safe there and her son had been robbed since the attack. The boy was the first to tell someone about the possible mistreatment.
“Prime minister, we trust you to take charge and make the decisions. ” She said, “Please remove us from this horrible place. ”
A priest named Maurizio Patriciello, who dislikes the mafia, has spoken highly of Prime Minister Meloni’s choice to come. He plans to request that she send many primary school teachers, which he refers to as “an army”.
However, not everyone is happy about her decision to visit Caivano, where the two young cousins were attacked.
People who are very angry about the government’s decision to stop giving out a minimum income benefit have sent her scary messages saying they want her dead.
The government before the current one introduced a program called the citizens’ income scheme. The prime minister claimed that this program allowed many Italians to not worry about finding a job.
She said that being threatened would not stop her from joining Italians who want to feel safe and have a better future for their kids. She said the government will keep fighting organized crime and won’t go in the opposite direction. -
Italian minister fumes over ‘ethnic replacement’ policy
Giorgia Meloni‘s brother-in-law, a close political ally, recently warned that Italy’s low birth rate and rising irregular immigration could result in “ethnic replacement,” infuriating the opposition in the nation.
Francesco Lollobrigida’s comments are in response to a recent study that predicted Italy to have one of the lowest birthrates in the world in 2022, with fewer than 400,000 births.
He claimed that the incentives to have more children, as recommended by Meloni, did not require women to stay at home to raise them during a conference on Tuesday.
“The way is to build a welfare system that allows you to work and have a family, supporting young couples to find employment,” he said. “Italians are having fewer children, so we’re replacing them with someone else. Yes to helping births, no to ethnic replacement. That’s not the way forward.”
Elly Schlein, the new head of Italy’s Democratic Party, described Lollobrigida’s statement as “disgusting” and “reminiscent of the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini.”
She accused Lollobrigida of reverting to the mentality of the 1930s, saying his words “have a flavor of white supremacism.”
Speaking to reporters at a protest against the state of emergency against migrants in Rome, Schlein added that she hopes Meloni’s government distances itself from the statements, “made on the day when President (Sergio) Mattarella is visiting Auschwitz.”
Lollobrigida said that while he was not against controlled immigration, noting his grandfather emigrated to Italy, irregular migration is a threat.
“If there are requests for a workforce, when you have exhausted the internal demand, you can, you must provide a workforce that also comes from other countries. It must be clarified that the first enemy of regular immigration, made through organized flows, is illegal and clandestine immigration,” he said.
Meloni’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and she has yet to make a public statement. Matteo Salvini, a junior partner in Meloni’s coalition of far-right and center-right parties, had previously tweeted about the threat of “ethnic replacement” in 2017, and Meloni had used the term in political speeches in 2016.
Italy has had a record number of arrivals by sea this year, with 34,715 people arriving as of April 19, according to the Interior ministry.
Far right White supremacist groups and conservative media personalities in both Europe and the US have been widely condemned in recent years for attempting to inflame nativist feelings among conservative White populations by warning that immigrants are “replacing” native born populations.
Replacement theory was first popularized by French writer Renaud Camus with his 2011 essay, “Le Grand Remplacement,” which posited White Europeans were being replaced by Muslim immigration.
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Fact-checking Giorgia Meloni’s claim about France’s “exploitation” of Africa
A video of Giorgia Meloni, a right-wing politician who has become Italy’s new prime minister, accusing France of using a “colonial currency” to “exploit the resources” of African countries has been widely shared on social media.
There have been recent tensions between the two countries over how to deal with African migrants. Italy refused to allow a migrant rescue ship to dock, France accused the Italians of “unacceptable behaviour”.
The video clip shows Ms Meloni claiming that “50% of everything that Burkina Faso exports ends up in… the French treasury”.
On 19 November, Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek tweeted the video, saying “I bet Emmanuel Macron now regrets to have picked a fight with Giorgia Meloni”. This got tens of thousands of retweets.
On 20 November, the Daily Mail wrote about the video clip with the headline: “Italy’s new firebrand PM launches blistering diatribe saying immigration from Africa would STOP if countries like France halted exploitation of continent’s valuable resources”.
But the video clip with Ms Meloni is actually from 2019 – long before she became prime minister – and her comments back then were wrong.
What did Giorgia Meloni claim?
The video is from an interview given on 19 January 2019 on the private Italian TV channel La 7, when Ms Meloni was an MP and leader of the right-wing party, Brothers of Italy.
Ms Meloni holds up a CFA franc bank note, describing it as a “colonial currency” that France prints for 14 African countries which, she claims, it uses to “exploit the resources of these nations”.
Image caption, The clip has been widely shared on social media She then holds up a picture of a child working in a gold mine in Burkina Faso and claims that “50% of everything that Burkina Faso exports ends up in… the French treasury”.
“The gold that this child goes down a tunnel to extract, mostly ends up in the coffers of the French state.”
Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni on Africa’s liberation.
“The solution is not to take the Africans and bring them to Europe. The solution is to free Africa from certain Europeans who exploit it and allow these people to live off what they have,” she says.#INDnews @GiorgiaMeloni pic.twitter.com/iOUavJBrbz— The Independent Ghana (@independent_gh) November 25, 2022
The video clip ends with her saying “the solution is not to take Africans and bring them to Europe, the solution is to free Africa from certain Europeans who exploit it”.
We looked into a similar claim in 2019 when another Italian politician blamed France for impoverishing Africa and encouraging migration to Europe.
What is the evidence?
France does print currency – the CFA franc – for 14 African countries, including Burkina Faso. Participation in this currency is voluntary.
The currency was created by France in the late 1940s to serve as legal tender in its then-African colonies.
At the time Ms Meloni made her claim in 2019, France required African countries that used the CFA franc to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves (not their exports) with the French treasury, in return for a guaranteed exchange rate with the Euro.
These countries were free to access these reserves at any time if they wanted to and France paid them interest while holding them (at 0.75%).
France didn’t “demand 50% of everything Burkina Faso exports” either.
According to World Bank data, France isn’t even among the top five destinations for Burkina Faso exports in total value, the leading export being gold. In 2020, it exported nearly 90% of its gold to Switzerland.
We asked Ms Meloni’s office if she still stands by her comments but have not received a reply. The French government has not responded to our request for a comment either.
What’s happened since?
In December 2019, reforms to the CFA zone were announced, dropping the requirement that countries in the zone deposit half their reserves in France.
France began the process of transferring reserves back last year, according to news reports.
The IMF said in March this year that the account where these reserves were held in France had been closed, and that the Central Bank of West African States (which controls monetary policy for eight countries including Burkina Faso) now manages the reserves.
It is free to deposit these where it chooses.
Why is the French currency zone controversial?
Critics of the CFA currency arrangement have called it a relic of colonialism, saying it has impeded economic development for the 14 African countries that are part of it.
They also argue that they have no say in deciding monetary policies agreed to by European nations in the Eurozone.
An article for the US-based Brookings Institute last year said that while countries using the CFA franc had generally seen lower inflation, the CFA franc arrangement limits their policy options, particularly in dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Other economists have pointed out that annual average GDP growth – the increase in the value of all goods and services produced – of CFA countries and other African economies has been fairly comparable over time.
Image caption, Protests against the currency were held in Rome in 2019 France defends the currency system as ensuring a “stable economic framework” for the economies that are part of it, and as the currency is pegged to the Euro it says it provides better protection against economic shocks and helps control inflation.
And countries are free to leave the zone, it adds.
Source: BBC
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Free Africa from certain Europeans who exploit it – Giorgia Meloni
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, made a passionate call to heads of state in European countries to cease from deliberately taking advantage of Africa.
In an interview dated 2019 – long before she became prime minister shared by broadcaster Darren Grimes, the Prime Minister stated that none to little has been done to ensure Africa is independent.
She cited an instance where Burkina Faso continues to feed France, even after colonisation, due to some stringent deals made.
“Burkina Faso is one of the poorest nations in the world. France prints colonial money for Burkina Faso, which has gold. In return they demand that 50% of everything that Burkina Faso exports end up in the coffers of the French treasury.
“The gold that this child goes down a tunnel to extract mostly ends up in the coffers of the French state,” she said.
According to her, taking Africans and bringing them to Europe is not the way to go about ensuring Africa is self-reliant. For her, “the solution is to free Africa from certain Europeans who exploit it and allow these people to live off what they have.”
“The solution is not to take the Africans and bring them to Europe, the solution is to free Africa from certain Europeans who exploit it.”
This by the Italian PM is one of the most extraordinary broadcast interviews I’ve ever seen, utterly eviscerating. pic.twitter.com/SuykmknuP6
— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) November 19, 2022
Most, if not all African countries, are unable to govern themselves without western influence. Since their independence, these countries have had a hard time to operate independently since they remain dependent on foreign countries.
Source: The Independent Ghana
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Ocean Viking: Italy defiant in its dispute with France over migrants
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described France’s government as “aggressive” and “incomprehensible” after it chastised Italy for refusing to dock a migrant ship.
Italy recently accepted three NGO boats rescuing migrants crossing from Libya after previously blocking them.
It also stated that France had agreed to accept another ship, the Ocean Viking.
That announcement drew applause from Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who declared that “the air has changed.”
Also Hungary’s far-right leader Viktor Orban thanked Ms Meloni for “protecting Europe’s borders”.
But reports suggest French authorities had not actually agreed to a deal.
In Paris, Italy’s public announcement is being seen as a way of forcing it into accepting the boat.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said France would exceptionally let the Ocean Viking dock – with the ship arriving in Toulon on Friday morning.
But he described Italy’s actions as reprehensible and selfish, warning of “very serious consequences”.
In a press conference on Friday, Ms Meloni said she was struck by France’s “aggressive reaction” which she also described as unjustified.
The comments come amid an increasingly explosive war of words between the two European Union members over migration, on which Italy’s new right-wing government has vowed to clamp down.
France has now suspended an agreement to take in 3,500 migrants relocated from Italy, urged other EU members to do the same and tightened controls on its borders with Italy.
Ms Meloni has warned it would not be “intelligent” for the EU to isolate Italy.
She stressed that her country had taken in almost 90,000 migrants this year, while Ocean Viking, with 234 on board, was the first NGO rescue boat that France had ever accepted.
“The situation cannot continue this way,” she added, saying that France’s reaction had betrayed a lack of European solidarity.
The unequal burden-sharing of migration has long caused friction within the EU, and Italy, Greece and Spain and have argued that they cannot be expected to shoulder the weight.
Domestic politics has also fed into the row – on both sides of the border.
Italy’s prime minister – the country’s first far-right leader since World War Two – campaigned on halting migrant boats and needs to please her electoral base.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron faces pressure from the far-right’s National Rally, whose leader Marine Le Pen has been quick to capitalise on the issue.
She accused Emmanuel Macron of “dramatic laxity” by accepting the ship, denouncing his failure to stop “massive and anarchic immigration”.
Whatever the motive, the result is now the worst crisis between France and Italy since 2019, when the then Italian deputy prime minister paid a solidarity visit to the anti-government gilets jaunes (yellow vest) protesters in France, prompting Paris to withdraw its ambassador to Rome.
It is rare for western EU members to criticise each other so openly – and does not bode well for relations between Italy’s new government and its traditional allies.
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Giorgia Meloni: Migrants’ fears over Italy’s new far-right prime minister
In our series of letters from African journalists, Ismail Einashe meets migrants on the Italian island of Sicily concerned about the political direction of the incoming government.
Her far-right Brothers of Italy party is a part of a coalition that has made reducing immigration a key part of their agenda.
For African migrants like Mustapha Jarjou in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, it heralds frightening times ahead: “I am very worried it’s going to create a lot of negative impact on the lives of migrants like me.”
The 24 year old, who is a spokesperson for the Gambian Community Association in Palermo, says the policy might fan divisions and hatred towards migrants.
He cites the murder in daylight of the disabled Nigerian street vendor, Alika Ogorchukwu, on the mainland in August as an example.
Italy is one of the main entry points into Europe and since the start of the year 70,000 migrants have arrived on boats on the country’s shores.
Ms Meloni wants to tighten the system for asylum seekers to choke off this irregular migration, which she says threatens the security and quality of life of its citizens.
She also wants to increase repatriations, target charity ships that rescue migrants who get into trouble during the Mediterranean crossing and has called for a naval blockade of North Africa.
Mustapha Jarjou, who is studying to become a nurse, fears for the safety of African migrants Mr Jarjou’s journey to Italy – like that of many others – was incredibly dangerous.
He arrived here aged 17 in December 2016 having left his home in West Africa in search of a better life.
It is a miracle he made it – after leaving The Gambia and getting to Libya, his nightmare began as he was held there in prison on three occasions, each time managing to escape.
He survived a terrifying sea crossing on a dinghy before landing in Sicily, only to end up working as a farm labourer for very low pay in terrible conditions growing watermelons and tomatoes on the island’s hinterlands.
But his fortunes changed when he was issued with official documents, which he had applied for as an asylum seeker. This allowed him to move to Palermo to pursue his education.
Image caption, Palermo has long had a reputation for welcoming migrants He is currently in the second year of his nursing degree and hopes to work in a hospital in the city when he graduates.
If Ms Meloni makes good on her promises, it will be more difficult for migrants to make their status official.
“Documents are an important gateway into integration,” Mr Jarjou says – adding that without them many migrants will simply become “invisible” and be forced to eke out a bleak existence on the margins of Italian society.
He is especially worried about the threats to make it tougher for migrants to make sea crossings by criminalising charity rescue ships. This would simply lead to more deaths in the Mediterranean, he says.
‘World’s largest cemetery’
But the migrants have a powerful ally in Pope Francis, who in a speech at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican last weekend gave a passionate defence of them.
Although the pontiff did not mention Italy by name, his intervention could be seen as a rebuke of the incoming coalition’s policies.
He said the exclusion of migrants was “scandalous, disgusting and sinful”, dubbing the Mediterranean “the world’s largest cemetery” in reference to the thousands of migrants who have perished in its waters over the last few years.
“It is criminal not to open doors to those who are needy,” he said.
Despite Mr Jarjou’s fears, the city of Palermo has a long-standing reputation for being welcoming to migrants.
Image caption, Saint Benedict, depicted here in a mural by artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri, is one of the patron saints of Palermo
Situated as it is on the edge of Europe, the city became a cultural melting pot in ancient times, and one of its patron saints is Saint Benedict the Moor, the first black saint in history.
Fausto Melluso, the head of Arci Palermo, an umbrella association for 16 community groups in the city that represents 7,000 members, points out that most people in Sicily and southern Italy did not vote for Ms Meloni or vote at all. Many backed the populist Five Star Movement, led by former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Until recently an independent left-wing politician in the Palermo municipality, Mr Melluso admits he too is worried about the anti-migrant positions Ms Meloni may pursue.
He says her victory should be a “wake-up call” to challenge such attitudes and instead focus on integrating migrants into Italian society.
Image caption, Fausto Melluso says Giorgia Meloni’s victory should be a wake-up call to challenge anti-migrant attitudes A 23-year-old Guinean migrant I met in the city is anxious to leave before life becomes even more difficult.
Having lived in Palermo since the age of 17, he has struggled to sort out his documents and believes Italy’s asylum system already makes it hard for migrants to integrate, often leaving them in limbo.
He speaks fluent Italian, volunteers for community groups, studies and also works as a waiter yet continually faces an uphill battle.
Every two years he has to renew his documents, which takes up a lot of time and is a tough process for migrants.
He is about to give up his job and move to France, where he has relatives and wants to go to university – though he does not know what he will do once his Italian documents expire next year.
“After six years here, nothing has changed for me. I feel like I arrived yesterday.”
Source: BBC
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German leaders express concern over a far-right victory in the Italian election
Politicians in Germany from all political perspectives have voiced alarm over Giorgia Meloni’s electoral victory. The far-right AfD, who appears to be Italy’s next leader, however, expressed support for Meloni.
German politicians of differing political hues reacted with concern on Monday, with Georgia Meloni likely to become Italy’s first far-right leader since World War II.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy — a successor parties to the MSI movement founded by former officials loyal to fascist leader Benito Mussolini — scooped a larger share of the vote that any other party in Sunday’s election.
Katharina Barley, a vice president of the European Parliament and a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD), was concerned that Meloni would align herself with Hungary and Poland. Leaders of both countries have clashed with Brussels over the issue of rule of law, with Hungary keen to dilute sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Barley said she was not fully reassured by an apparent softening of Meloni’s euroskeptic stance.
“I’m not convinced yet. Of course, if she becomes prime minister, she will have the benefit of the doubt,” Barley said.
The vote provided the bloc lead by Giorgia Meloni with a clear majority
“The EU can only work if you try to apply common solutions that fit everyone,” she added. “That means compromise. Our experiences with this sort of government is that they do not engage in compromises at all.”
Junior coalition members fearful
Members of the SPD’s two junior coalition partners also said they were anxious about the likelihood of Meloni coming to power.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), echoed the sentiment that decision-making processes at the EU level could be made more difficult.
“It is becoming more and more laborious,” Lambsdorff told the German public broadcaster ARD on Monday, referring to the issues of migration, financial reform, and the internal market.
Omid Nouripour, the co-leader of the environmentalist Greens, Germany’s other junior coalition partner, described the election results as “worrying.”
He said it was well known that there are “very close ties with the Kremlin” within the right-wing alliance.
The leaders of the other two parties within the alliance, Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi have previously sought a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Salvini’s League has called for a weakening of Western sanctions against Russia, and Berlusconi has long been friends with the Kremlin leader.
Meloni has said she is steadfast in her support for Ukraine and strongly supports the European Union’s sanctions.
‘Openly post-fascist statements’
On the opposition seats in parliament, the Christian Democrat lawmaker and foreign policy expert Jürgen Hardt said he was troubled by Meloni’s “openly post-fascist statements.”
“Racism and the exclusion of minorities can no longer have a place in Europe,” Hardt told the German news agency dpa.
“In Germany and Brussels, the new Italian government will be judged on its contribution to the future of Europe, compliance with the sanctions against Russia, and progress in rebuilding the Italian economy,” Hardt said.
Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were jubilant at Meloni’s election success.
“We celebrate with Italy!” AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch tweeted. “Sweden in the north, Italy in the south: left-wing governments are yesterday’s news,” she wrote, referring to the success of right-wing populist Sweden Democrats in elections earlier this month.
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Giorgia Meloni: The far-right party in Italy wins the election and promises to rule fairly
Giorgia Meloni, a leader of the far right, has declared victory in the Italian election and is on track to become the nation’s first female prime minister.
The most right-wing government in Italy since World War Two is anticipated to be formed by Ms. Meloni.
Giorgia Meloni, a leader of the far right, has declared victory in the Italian election and is on track to become the nation’s first female prime minister.
The most right-wing government in Italy since World War Two is anticipated to be formed by Ms. Meloni.
That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy.
However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust.
“Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome, holding up a sign saying “Thank you Italy”.
She is set to win around 26% of the vote, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the center-left. Mr Letta told reporters on Monday that the far-right victory was a “sad day for Italy and Europe” but his party would provide a “strong and intransigent opposition”.
Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia – will take control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with around 44% of the vote.
Four years ago, Brothers of Italy won little more than 4% of the vote but this time benefited from staying out of the national unity government that collapsed in July.
The party’s dramatic success in the vote disguised the fact that her allies performed poorly, with the League slipping below 9%, and Forza Italia even lower.
Their big advantage, however, was that where they were able to put up one unified candidate in a constituency, their opponents in the left and centre could not agree a common position and stood separately.
Giorgia Meloni appears certain to become prime minister but it will be for the president, Sergio Mattarella, to nominate her and that is unlikely to happen before late October.
Although she has worked hard to soften her image, emphasizing her support for Ukraine and diluting anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists.
Earlier this year she outlined her priorities in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right Vox party: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”
The center-left alliance was a long way behind the right with 26% of the vote and Democratic Party figure Debora Serracchiani argued that the right “has the majority in parliament, but not in the country”.
In truth, the left failed to form a viable challenge with other parties after Italy’s 18-month unity government fell apart, and officials were downbeat even before the vote. The Five Star Movement under Giuseppe Conte won a convincing third place – but did not see eye to eye with Enrico Letta even though they have several policies in common on immigration and raising the minimum wage.
Turnout fell to a record low of 63.91% – nine points down in 2018. Voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including Sicily.
Italy is a founding father of the European Union and a member of Nato, and Ms Meloni’s rhetoric on the EU places her close to Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
Her allies have both had close ties with Russia. Mr Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Vladimir Putin was pushed into invading Ukraine while Mr Salvini has called into question Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ms Meloni wants to revisit Italian reforms agreed with the EU in return for almost €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans, arguing that the energy crisis has changed the situation.Italy is already the second most indebted country in the eurozone and Prof Leila Simona Talani of King’s College London believes the next government will face a clutch of serious issues.
“They have no experience economically. Tax cuts will be a problem, so Italy will have less revenue and it’s heading for a recession, so it’ll face problems with the financial markets and with Europe. How will they find the money to tackle the rising energy prices?”
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, There was little cause for joy at Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party headquarters on Sunday night The Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”
In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally said Italian voters had given European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a lesson in humility. She had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”.
However, Prof Gianluca Passarrelli of Rome’s Sapienza University told the BBC he thought she would avoid rocking the boat on Europe and focus on other policies: “I think we will see more restrictions on civil rights and policies on LGBT and immigrants.”
Ms Meloni wants a naval blockade to stop migrant boats from leaving Libya, and Matteo Salvini is known to covet the job of an interior minister which he held three years ago. However, he is currently on trial for barring a boat from docking as part of his policy to close ports to rescue boats.
This election marks a one-third reduction in the size of the two houses, and that appears to have benefited the winning parties.
The make-up of the Chamber and Senate is not yet clear but a YouTrend projection said the right-wing alliance would hold as many as 238 of the 400 seats in the lower house and 112 of the 200 seats in the upper house.
As for the center-left, they are projected to have 78 seats in the Chamber and 40 in the Senate.
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Russia and Hungary cheer new Italian leaders
Now that Meloni is expected to win, there has been a greater reaction, with Moscow declaring its openness to forging “constructive” ties with Rome.“We are ready to welcome any political forces that are able to go beyond the established mainstream, which is filled with hate for our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Meloni’s political allies in Italy have both made controversial remarks about Russia.
Silvio Berlusconi claimed last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “pushed” into invading Ukraine, though he later made clear Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was “unjustifiable and unacceptable”.
Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini has questioned Western sanctions on Moscow – something Meloni herself supports at the EU level.
Meanwhile, Hungary’s nationalist leader Prime Minister Viktor Orban has congratulated Meloni – whose rhetoric on the EU is close to that of the Hungarian nationalist leader – and her allies on the election results.
He added he looked forward to future cooperation over peace, the European economy, and the energy crisis.
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USA is keen to cooperate with new Italian government
The US government says it is “eager” to collaborate with a new Italian government on “shared goals” now that Giorgia Meloni’s success is obvious.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter listed the priorities:
- supporting a free and independent Ukraine
- respecting human rights
- building a sustainable economic future
Quote Message: Italy is a vital ally, strong democracy, and valued partner [of the US].” from Antony Blinken US Secretary of State
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron says his government respects the democratic choice of Italian voters.
The European Union must continue to work together with Italy “as neighbours and friends”, the Elysée Palace said in a statement.
“It is within Europe that we will overcome our common challenges”, it added.
France’s statement shares similarities with the official line from fellow eurozone lynchpin Germany, where the government has expressed the view it expects Italy to continue to be a “very Europe-friendly country”.
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Meloni government could mean more EU division
Two of the first congratulatory messages to Giorgia Meloni, within the EU, have come from Hungary and Poland.That’s no coincidence. Warsaw and Budapest both have conservative nationalist governments who rail against EU overreach and have been at odds with Brussels on issues including LGBT rights.
But it’s a little more complicated than saying the three nations might sit as some kind of united trio around the European Council table.
Poland and Hungary are deeply split on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Warsaw has been hard-line on sanctions against the Kremlin whereas Budapest has been seen, increasingly, as a barrier.
Giorgia Meloni has stressed her support for Ukraine but it’s an approach that, it’s feared, won’t be fully backed by her right-wing allies.
What is certain is that a new Meloni government could mean more EU division given its predecessor was the Brussels-favoured technocrat, Mario Draghi.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Source: bbc.com
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Meloni pledges to govern for all Italians
Giorgia Meloni, 45, is poised to become Italy’s first female prime minister and the nation’s first PM from the far right.
She is predicted to win up to 26% of the vote, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the centre left.
And her right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – now looks to have control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with a projected 42.2% of the Senate vote.
Giorgia Meloni has pledged to “govern for everyone”.
“Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters as she acknowledged her victory.
Embracing a controversial old motto, “God, fatherland and family”, she campaigned against LGBT rights, wants a naval blockade of Libya and has warned repeatedly against Muslim migrants.
Unlike her right-wing allies, she has no time for Russia’s Vladimir Putin and is pro-Nato and pro-Ukraine, even though many voters on the right are lukewarm on Western sanctions.
Besides tax cuts, her alliance wants to renegotiate Italy’s massive EU Covid recovery plan and have Italy’s president elected by popular vote.Meloni formed Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) in 2012, four years after becoming Italy’s youngest-ever minister under Silvio Berlusconi in 2008.
Her party attracted little more than 4% of the vote in the last general election four years ago, and yet she is now expected to get around 25%.
Meloni was the only major party leader who refused to go into popular technocrat Mario Draghi’s broad-based coalition, so she was the only big opposition leader when it collapsed in July.
Meloni grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Garbatella, raised by her mother after her father left them.
As a teenager, she joined the youth wing of Italy’s neo-fascist movement, formed after the war by supporters of late dictator Benito Mussolini.
In her 2021 book, I Am Giorgia, she stresses she is not a fascist, but identifies with Mussolini’s heirs, saying:”I have taken up the baton of a 70-year-long history.”
Source: BBC
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Giorgia Meloni: Italy’s far right on course to win election
Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s election, and is on course to become the country’s first female prime minister.Ms Meloni is widely expected to form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two.
That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy.
However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust.
“Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome, holding up a sign saying “Thank you Italy”.
She is set to win 26% of the vote, based on provisional results, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the centre left.
Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – will take control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with around 44% of the vote.
Her own party’s dramatic success in the vote disguised the fact that her allies performed poorly, with Mr Salvini’s party slipping below 9%, and Forza Italia even lower. Four years ago, Brothers of Italy won little more than 4% of the vote but this time benefited from staying out of the national unity government that collapsed in July.
The decision on who becomes Italy’s next leader is up to the president, Sergio Mattarella, and that will take time.
Although Giorgia Meloni has worked hard to soften her image, emphasising her support for Ukraine and diluting anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists.
Earlier this year she outlined her priorities in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right Vox party: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”
The centre-left alliance was a long way behind the right with 26% of the vote and Democratic Party figure Debora Serracchiani said it was a sad evening for Italy. The right “has the majority in parliament, but not in the country”, she insisted.
The left failed to form a viable challenge with other parties after Italy’s 18-month unity government fell apart, and officials were downbeat even before the vote. The Five Star Movement under Giuseppe Conte won a convincing third place – but does not see eye to eye with Enrico Letta even though they have several policies in common on immigration and raising the minimum wage.
Turnout fell to a record low of 63.91% – nine points down on 2018. Voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including Sicily.
Italy is a founding father of the European Union and a member of Nato, and Ms Meloni’s rhetoric on the EU places her close to Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
Her allies have both had close ties with Russia. Mr Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Vladimir Putin was pushed into invading Ukraine while Mr Salvini has called into question Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ms Meloni wants to revisit Italian reforms agreed with the EU in return for almost €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans, arguing that the energy crisis has changed the situation.
Image source, ReutersImage caption, There was little cause for joy at Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party headquarters on Sunday night The Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”
In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally said Italian voters had given European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a lesson in humility. She had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”.
However, Prof Gianluca Passarrelli of Rome’s Sapienza University told the BBC he thought she would avoid rocking the boat on Europe and focus on other policies: “I think we will see more restrictions on civil rights and policies on LGBT and immigrants.”
Mr Salvini will be hoping to return to the interior ministry to halt migrant boats crossing from Libya.
This election marks a one-third reduction in the size of the two houses, and that appears to have benefited the winning parties.
A Rai TV exit poll suggested the three parties will hold 227-257 seats in the revamped 400-seat Chamber and 111-131 seats out of a total of 200 seats in the Senate. Mr Salvini said the right had a clear advantage in both houses.
The same Rai poll also reveals just how dominant the Meloni-led coalition is likely to be. The centre left will hold a mere 78-98 seats in the Chamber and 33-53 in the Senate, it says.
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Elections in Italy: The far-right party dismisses a Hitler-praising candidate
One of its candidates has been suspended by the far-right Italian party Brothers of Italy after glorifying Adolf Hitler on social media. Brothers of Italy is expected to win Sunday’s election.
Agrigento, Sicily, party coordinator Calogero Pisano compared leader Giorgia Meloni to “a great statesman of 70 years ago” in a 2014 Facebook post.
He clarified that he wasn’t referring to Benito Mussolini but rather a “German.”
The party said Mr Pisano no longer represented it at any level.
Ms Meloni has been trying to distance the Brothers of Italy from its neo-fascist roots
The party leads the polls ahead of Sunday’s vote, with promises of tax cuts and a hard line on immigration.
Mr Pisano also expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Italian news agency Ansa.
Ruth Dureghello, the president of Rome’s Jewish Community, criticized the comments, saying “the idea that someone who hails Hitler could sit in the next parliament is unacceptable”, Ansa reported.
Founded in 2012, Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) has its political roots in the Italian Social Movement (MSI), which emerged from the wartime dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascism. The party maintains the logo of post-war far-right parties: the tricolor flame, often perceived as the fire burning on Mussolini’s tomb.
Embracing a controversial old motto, “God, fatherland, and family”, Ms Meloni says she wants tax cuts and to have Italy’s president elected by popular vote. She also campaigns against LGBT rights, wants a naval blockade of Libya, and has warned repeatedly against Muslim migrants.
Ms Meloni strongly rejects the fascist label, saying recently it had been “consigned to history”.
In Italy’s last elections in 2018, her party received little more than 4% of the vote, but she’s now the favorite to win. Backed by two other right-wing parties, the League and Forza Italia, polls suggest they are heading for a majority in Italy’s two houses of parliament.
