All posts tagged: Antonio Tajani

Russian TV host brands Meloni ‘fascist scum,’ sparking diplomatic fracas – POLITICO

Russian TV host brands Meloni ‘fascist scum,’ sparking diplomatic fracas – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Russian Ambassador Paramonov dismissed Tajani’s protests in a post on Facebook, saying Rome had “missed the mark” by summoning him over comments made by a television host and insisting the remarks did not reflect the position of the Russian government. “No reasonable person would treat purely personal remarks as an official statement,” he added. Russia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment. Rome has firmly backed Ukraine efforts to end the Russian full-scale invasion of its territory, with Meloni standing out as one of Kyiv’s most reliable European allies. The prime minister has ramped up military cooperation and recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on expanding defense support, including drone production. That stance has exacerbated internal tensions in Italy, where far-right coalition partner the League, energy giant ENI and the opposition 5Star Movement have floated resuming Russian gas purchases amid mounting energy pressures. Meloni on Tuesday dismissed Solovyov’s tirade as propaganda. “A diligent propagandist of the regime cannot give lessons in coherence or freedom,” she wrote on social media, …

‘Allies, not vassals’: How Meloni’s break with Trump became a political moment for Italy

‘Allies, not vassals’: How Meloni’s break with Trump became a political moment for Italy

Published by Sam Flores

It was on a government plane somewhere between Verona and Rome that Itay‘s PM Giorgia Meloni learned that US President Donald Trump had called her “unacceptable”. Her aides had flagged an interview the US president had given to Corriere della Sera published on April 14. She read it. Then, according to the Italian daily’s account, the far-right PM settled on a line she had already used that afternoon: “Being allies does not mean there are no red lines, and it certainly does not mean being vassals or subjects.” Trump had been blunt. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he said in the Corriere interview. His grievances were twofold: Meloni’s refusal to back the US-led war on Iran and her condemnation of his attacks on Pope Leo XIV as “unacceptable”. “She is the one who is unacceptable,” Trump added, “because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance”. The dispute also comes against the backdrop of …

Italy’s Meloni halts defense pact with Israel – POLITICO

Italy’s Meloni halts defense pact with Israel – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The move comes amid rising tensions between Italy and Israel, after Israel Defense Forces fired warning shots at an Italian peacekeeping convoy outside Beirut, Lebanon on April 8. No troops were injured, but the Italian response was swift: Meloni called the attack “completely unacceptable,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome for a third time since 2024. The Italian government has been largely supportive of Israel over its war in Gaza and does not recognize Palestinian statehood. But the war in Iran forced the Italian leader to reposition herself. Meloni condemned Israel for preventing Catholic leaders from celebrating a private Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday, calling it “an offense to religious freedom.” And in a speech to parliament last week, she slammed Israel for its conduct in Lebanon. Source link

Anarchists blew themselves up when building bomb in Rome

Anarchists blew themselves up when building bomb in Rome

Published by Sam Flores

Alessandro Mercogliano and Sara Ardizzone were found beneath the rubble of a cottage beside an ancient Roman aqueduct The bodies of an anarchist couple were found beneath the rubble of a cottage on the outskirts of Rome after they blew themselves up while making a bomb. Police believed Alessandro Mercogliano, 53, and 36-year-old Sara Ardizzone were plotting an attack against a police station and Leonardo, a defence contractor, which made parts for F-35 jets. Traces of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used to make explosives, were found in the debris of the abandoned building beside an ancient Roman aqueduct on Friday. Police said the pair were supporters of Alfredo Cospito, the jailed figurehead of a loosely organised anarchist network called the Informal Anarchist Federation. Cospito, 58, is serving a 20-year sentence for a series of parcel bombs and attacks targeting authorities. In 2012, he was sentenced to 10 years for kneecapping the head of the Italian nuclear power company Ansaldo Nucleare. ‘Risk of mass-casualty attacks’ Otello Lupacchini, a retired judge and mafia expert, said that the …

Trump’s strikes on Iran give Meloni a headache before Italy’s crunch referendum – POLITICO

Trump’s strikes on Iran give Meloni a headache before Italy’s crunch referendum – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

That hostility toward the U.S. president, as well as fears over the impact of the war on household bills, means Meloni is now treading a tightrope, avoiding criticizing her powerful ally in the White House while reassuring voters that Rome will not be dragged into the war. In a political compromise, Meloni on Thursday pledged air-defense support to Gulf states hit by retaliatory fire from Iran, and her defense minister said Italy would send “naval assets” to protect Cyprus. She is simultaneously insisting, however, that Italy will not give direct support to the U.S.-Israeli war against Tehran, and notes that U.S. bases in Italy are authorized only to offer logistical support, not to conduct offensive operations. “We’re not at war; we don’t want to go to war,” she told RTL radio on Thursday. This balancing act over Iran could hardly come at a worse time for Meloni. Polls now suggest the referendum is too close to call, and that much will depend on the turnout. Should she lose, it would be a major set-back for …

Paralympics’ Russia crisis grows as Ukraine vows ceremony boycott – POLITICO

Paralympics’ Russia crisis grows as Ukraine vows ceremony boycott – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The IPC said six Russian and four Belarusian athletes have been awarded invitations to compete at the Games in para-alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing and para-snowboarding. The committee lifted its broader suspension of the two countries in September, after previously allowing athletes to compete only as neutrals following Russia’s 2022 full-invasion of Ukraine. The decision is now drawing political backing across Europe. EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef said he would skip the ceremony, warning that the IPC’s decision risked undermining solidarity with Ukraine. Estonia’s Paralympic Committee has also condemned the move, with its governing officials saying they will not attend the opening ceremony. In Poland, the head of the national Paralympic Committee told Polsat News his organization was considering a boycott, calling the IPC’s decision “scandalous” and the result of Russian lobbying. Italy — host of the 2026 Winter Games — has also stepped up diplomatic pressure. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi urged the IPC to reconsider, expressing Rome’s “absolute opposition” and arguing Russia’s continued violations of Olympic ideals make …

Italy aligns with Germany by cooling on Macron’s joint EU debt plan – POLITICO

Italy aligns with Germany by cooling on Macron’s joint EU debt plan – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

BRUSSELS — Rome is again aligning with Berlin by saying that it’s not the time to discuss European joint debt as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron — even though it’s an idea Italy has pushed for years. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday said while the government broadly agrees on the need for shared borrowing to fund investments in strategic sectors it isn’t worth contemplating while France and Germany were at odds over the matter. “I prefer to find solutions on issues that various countries already agree on, rather than opening debates on issues where there is no agreement,” Tajani told Sky TV on Wednesday. “If there is no agreement, there is no point in getting bogged down in a debate, even on issues that we consider positive.” Ahead of Thursday’s meeting of EU leaders, Macron on Tuesday called for a joint borrowing scheme to fund investments in strategic sectors. Germany was quick to shoot down the idea, stressing that it is more pressing to discuss the bloc’s productivity problems. Source link

How the EU’s internal resistance on Iran finally cracked – POLITICO

How the EU’s internal resistance on Iran finally cracked – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

One EU diplomat from a country that had pushed for the listing in the lead-up to Thursday’s meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels said footage of parents looking for their children in body bags had been particularly “horrific” and “motivating,” along with reports of deaths in the tens of thousands. Early on Wednesday afternoon, Spain signaled its position had also shifted, with the foreign ministry telling POLITICO it supported the designation, which puts the Revolutionary Guard in the same category as al Qaeda, Hamas and Daesh. Paris was the last holdout. U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that “time is running out” for the regime. | Laurent Gillieron/EPA French officials had argued such a massive terror listing — the group has more than 100,000 personnel — would limit opportunities to talk about nuclear nonproliferation and other matters due to the fact that many of Europe’s interlocutors are tied to the sprawling Revolutionary Guards.  France, along with the U.K. and Germany, is also a member of the E3 group of nations that are holding nuclear talks with …

Italy recalls ambassador over Swiss release of Crans-Montana fire suspect – POLITICO

Italy recalls ambassador over Swiss release of Crans-Montana fire suspect – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The diplomatic escalation follows the Jan. 1 fire at Le Constellation nightclub in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, which broke out during New Year celebrations shortly after 1 a.m., killing 40 people and injuring 116. Investigators believe indoor pyrotechnic sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited flammable acoustic foam on the ceiling, triggering a rapid flashover that engulfed the packed basement venue within seconds. Swiss prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s owners on suspicion of negligent homicide, bodily harm and arson. Jacques Moretti, one of the bar’s co-owners, had been detained earlier this month as a flight risk before a Swiss court ordered his release on bail on Friday. Source link