Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday her government had suspended a defence cooperation deal with Israel, reflecting frayed ties between previously close allies as the conflicts in the Middle East continue. Meloni’s right-wing government has been one of Israel’s closest friends in Europe, but in recent weeks it has criticised its attacks on Lebanon, which have killed hundreds and injured thousands. Source link
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
In an interview with TG1, Meloni said she had chosen to travel to the Gulf “as a gesture of solidarity” with regional allies. But she admitted the trip also had the pragmatic goal of securing Rome’s access to the region’s oil. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 percent of the oil and natural gas that powers the global economy runs, is having a major impact on Italy. The Arab Gulf states supply the country with around 15 percent of the oil it consumes, and as prices have steadily risen during the last month Meloni’s government has allocated nearly €900 million to slash fuel taxes. The regional visit reflects Rome’s unwillingness to wait for Brussels to come up with a response to the bloc-wide energy crisis. Meloni on Friday said she would move independently to “to guarantee Italy has access to the energy supply it needs.” Source link
By Angelo Amante and Crispian Balmer ROME, April 3 (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Saudi Arabia on Friday for a previously unannounced trip that will also include meetings in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, a government official said. Meloni travelled to Jeddah for the first visit by a European Union leader to Saudi Arabia since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in February and was due to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later in the day, the official said. The same source, who asked not to be named, said the two-day visit was mainly aimed at showing support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks and protecting Italy’s own energy supplies, as the government grapples with rising fuel prices. The official said Italy would confirm the intention of its majors – including energy giant Eni – to keep investing in the Gulf. Italy is already supplying Gulf partners with defensive weapons against Iranian retaliatory attacks and is open to assessing further requests should they be made, the official …
Impromptu alliances Campaigning against Meloni’s judicial reforms was an easy rallying point for the opposition, as they could all pile on the prime minister for attacking independent state institutions. In Rome’s Piazza Barberini on Monday night, opposition leaders and activists from several centrist and leftist parties gathered to celebrate a result few had considered likely just weeks earlier. Supporters waved party flags and chanted as leaders from across the political spectrum shared a stage in a rare display of unity. But the fraternity shown on the piazza masked deeper divisions: The coalition that came together to defeat Meloni in the referendum remains far from agreeing on a common national program, or a shared candidate for prime minister. The on-again-off-again grouping often diverges sharply on issues such as military spending and support for Ukraine, as well as economic policy, with a significant gap between the radical populist left and the more centrist Democratic Party. Schlein argued on Wednesday that the opposition must focus on concrete proposals. “We can’t just be against the government, we have to …
Delmastro Delle Vedove had also received a criminal conviction earlier in the legislature after leaking official secrets. Justice Ministry chief of staff and former MP Giusi Bartolozzi is facing criminal charges over an alleged cover-up involving a Libyan warlord who was arrested last year on an International Criminal Court warrant and then flown out of Rome. During the campaign she called prosecutors “an execution squad,” reinforcing accusations that the government viewed investigations as political interference. Bartolozzi didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Meloni also signaled she had lost confidence in Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, who has been ordered to stand trial over alleged fraud linked to Covid-19 aid, and said in a statement that she “hoped” Santanchè would choose to resign. Santanchè didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, who authored the reform, took responsibility for the defeat but said on Tuesday he would not step down and instead would “return to his study and hobbies” after national elections expected next year. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein told …
A loss in the referendum will probably weaken the right-wing prime minister’s hand politically, most critically ahead of a general election expected before the end of next year. Italy’s right has long wanted to shake up a judicial system that it claims is politicized and biased toward the left — an assertion disputed by the opposition and many legal experts — vowing the reforms proposed in the referendum would make the system more accountable. Opponents of Meloni’s reforms warned an overhaul risked weakening judicial independence and portrayed the referendum as an attempt to bring fiercely autonomous legal officials under government control. Voters were asked to approve changes to how judges and prosecutors are governed and disciplined, including separating their career paths and reshaping oversight bodies. The tension over the judiciary reflect long-running tension in Italian politics. The Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) investigations of the early 1990s exposed a vast network of corruption that wiped out an entire political class, leaving magistrates with heightened authority and politicians deeply mistrustful of the judiciary. The shadow of former …
Regional data shows northern and central regions leading participation, with Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Lombardy recording the highest turnout so far. Southern regions including Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily are trailing in turnout. At the heart of the vote is a deeply contested reform of the Italian judiciary. The most controversial element is a proposal to overhaul how members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) — the body that governs judges’ careers — are selected. Instead of being elected, most members would be chosen by lottery under the proposal. Supporters of the reform argue the change would break the influence of internal factions within the judiciary and reduce politicization. Critics say it risks undermining merit and representation, potentially allowing underqualified and political candidates to oversee key decisions on appointments and discipline. Two further turnout updates are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday, with final results expected after polls close on Monday at 3 p.m. The referendum does not require a minimum turnout, meaning the reform will be approved or rejected based …
While Meloni emphasized in the meeting that she personally still supported the loan being channeled to Ukraine immediately, she said she understood the position of Orbán, who faces an election next month, according to the five diplomats, representing four different European countries. One of the five diplomats quoted Meloni as saying that Orbán’s stance was “normal” because “things change” and that “if I were in the same situation I would understand it.” The Italian government denied that. “The sentence attributed to the prime minister is totally baseless” an official from Meloni’s office in Rome said. All diplomats quoted in this article were granted anonymity to allow them to speak freely about the discussions, which were not held in public. None of them were in the room because it was almost exclusively only leaders present. Those leaders briefed diplomats. Oil link Hungary and Slovakia are blocking the release of the funds, which needs all EU governments to approve. Budapest has linked its consent to demands Ukraine repair the Druzhba pipeline, which brings Russian oil to Hungary …
Christopher Meloni is keeping it all in the family for his next film project. The veteran star teamed with his daughter, Sophia Meloni, for a role in her feature directorial debut called Chop Cheese, alongside a cast that includes Michael Gandolfini, Luca Rickman, Anki Alvarez and Dylan Frankel. The film is described as a coming-of-age story set in New York’s bodega culture. It follows a 16-year-old boy as he reckons with manhood while vying for “boss” status from the grill master at the local bodega, only to learn that respect has a price and must be earned. Sophia Meloni wrote and directed the film, which was produced by Lisa Rudin. Nailing the family focus, Chop Cheese was inspired by a short story the fledgling filmmaker wrote in college while observing the teenage years of her younger brother, Dante, as he was living out a phase of “radical self-discovery” in New York City. It’s also informed by her own history, having a successful actor for a father and a production designer mother, meaning she grew up …
