Meloni, Berlusconi to have 'peace talks'

Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader and likely future premier Giorgia Meloni and Forza Italia (FI) leader Silvio Berlusconi are having peace talks in Rome on Monday after the coalition partners had a massive bust-up.
    Ex-premier and media billionaire Berlusconi described Meloni as "presumptuous, over-bearing, arrogant and offensive" last week in written notes photographed by the media after FI failed to back FdI bigwig Ignazio la Russa in the election that saw him become the Senate Speaker due to attrition over the composition of the new government.
    Meloni, who is set to become Italy's first woman premier after FdI spearheaded the right-wing coalition's victory in last month's general election, hit back by saying Berlusconi has forgotten to put "not blackmailable" on the list.
    The tension reached the point that there was even talk of FI going to consultations on the formation of the new government with President Sergio Mattarella alone, rather than as part of the right-wing coalition that also includes Matteo Salvini's League.
    But Meloni and Berlusconi reportedly spoke on the telephone on Sunday and met at FdI's Rome offices on Monday as they sought to patch things up.
    On Sunday Meloni said the centre-left opposition should "come to terms" with the fact that the coalition she leads "will lift Italy back up".
   

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