>>>ANSA/Meloni calls EU Conservatives to 'defend nations'

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 24 - The first goal of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) caucus at the European Parliament is to "defend our nations," ECR Chair and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni told the caucus in unveiling its manifesto for the June 8-9 European elections in Strasbourg Tuesday evening.
    "Our first objective will be to defend our nations from attempts to deprive them of their powers," she told a rally of the conservative parties including Spain's Vox, Poland's Law and Justice, Eric Zemmour's French Reconquete (Reconquest), the Sweden Democrats, and the Finns Party, a group which is led by Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and is soon set to see the arrival of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz too.
    "'Doing less, doing better' is our mantra.
    "The principle of subsidiarity is our compass.
    "It is this that makes Europe strong and united, an impressive network of culture, economies, histories and opinions that make us what we are".
    The Meloni-led ECR is hoping to forge alliances to upset the centre-left-centre-right-liberal coalition currently leading the EU.
    In this 9th European Parliament, the centre right and Christian Democrat European People's Party (EPP), which features Italy's post Berlusconi Forza Italia (FI), a domestic ally of Meloni's, formed a coalition with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and Renew Europe to elect Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission.
    As well as Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's FI, the other Italian domestic coalition member is Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League, which belongs to the Identity and Freedom (ID) caucus at the EP along with Marine Le Pen's Natonal Rally and Alternative for Germany.
    Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Wednesday that, while he does not consider the European Union's new Stability and Growth Pact ideal, it is a significant improvement on the EU's old budget rules.
    He was speaking after MEPs from the parties of the Italian government's ruling coalition abstained in a vote in the European Parliament on the Pact on Tuesday, as did those from the opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD), while the opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S) voted against.
    The Pact was approved anyway.
    "It's certainly a compromise. It's not the proposal that I had taken to Europe," Giorgetti told the Lower House, where the government's DEF economic blueprint is being examined.
    "(But) it is a step forward with respect to the budget rules that would have come back into force in 2025.
    "This Stability and Growth Pact does not exactly respond to the criteria of those who think that growth depends on the 'LSD' model, that is laxity, subsidies and debt.
    "I continue to think that the (right) growth model is the one that made our country great in the post-War period via sacrifice, investment and labour". The new pact gives countries who are not respecting the budget rules seven years to bring their debt and deficit levels down, up from four previously.
    States are still required to bring their debts under 60% of GDP and deficits under 3%.
    Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Tajani said it would be wrong to read too much into the decision to abstain on Tuesday.
    "Abstaining does not mean you are against," said Tajani, the leader of the post Berlusconi FI party.
    "It means you are saying that this pact can be improved".
    (ANSA).