Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister and
No. 2 in three-time ex-premier and media mogul Silvio
Berlusconi's centre right Forza Italia (FI) party, Antonio
Tajani, said Thursday there could be noa lliance in Europe
between the European People's Party (EPP) to which FI belongs
and the rightwing Identity and Democracy (ID) group of rightwing
League party leader, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister
Matteo Salvini, which includes the far right National Rally of
France's Marine Le Pen and the far-right Alternative for Germany
(AfD) parties, among other far-right groups.
"The possible alliance can be made between conservatives,
liberals and popular parties. It is not possible to make an
alliance with the ID group. The League is very different from
AfD and will decide what to do, whether to remain in that
political family or make other choices. I respect the will of
that party and it will be up to them to decide what to do. We
are allies in Italy, and European issues concern European
families. In Italy we work well together and we are in a solid
coalition," said Tajani, whose FI composes the Italian
government with the League and the senior partner, Giorgia
Meloni's rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, which is in
the EP's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) caucus
along with Poland's Law and Justice party , the Sweden
Democrats, Spain's Vox, Alliance for
Germany and the Finns Party.
Tajani was responding on the European positioning of the League,
on the sidelines of an EPP symposium in Rome on the importance
of underlying Christian values.
Tajani added: "This two day event of the EPP in Rome
demonstrates the centrality of Forza Italia in the popular
family and strengthens our role in view of the European
elections. We will do everything to have a change also in Europe
with a majority formed by the EPP, Conservatives and Liberals,
an alternative to the Left"
The EPP event was titled 'With Christian values at the centre:
the ruling class for the Europe of today and tomorrow'.
photo: Tajani (L), with Salvini and Interior Minister Matteo
Piantedosi (R)
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