Giorgia Meloni: Hungary and Poland Should Not Be Treated as Second-Class in Europe

Prior to the EU summit scheduled to commence on Thursday, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni addressed the upper house of the Italian parliament in Rome. She emphasized that treating certain EU countries as inferior weakens the continent. She also touched upon Hungary, Poland, the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict in Israel, and the concerns of European farmers.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni (Photo: MTI/AP/Evan Vucci)

Using a football analogy, Giorgia Meloni argued that, up until a few months ago, some had put Hungary and Poland in the second division. 

But then Poland had a change of government and it swiftly moved up to first division. This means that you believe that nations whose governments do not conform to your views should be isolated. This is flawed interpretation of foreign policy. I do otherwise, and I engage in dialogue with everyone,

 – PM Meloni said in response to proposals put forward by the left-wing opposition.

As president of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, Ms Meloni added that

I also have my party's interests at heart, but nothing comes before the interests of my country.

With regard to the war in Ukraine, Italy's prime minister underlined that Rome does not in any way support a possible military intervention by EU member states, which 

could lead to a dangerous escalation of the war, and therefore it should be avoided at all costs.

In relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ms Meloni underscored that the brutal attack on October 7th by the Palestinian terrorist organization 

Hamas, the inhumanity witnessed by the world, was seemingly premeditated to provoke a reaction from Israel with the aim of isolating it on the international stage, and this is what is happening now at the level of public opinion.

Ms Meloni also addressed the farmers' protests across Europe, stating that "We must honestly admit that a significant portion of the agricultural workers' issues stem from the ideological and, in some cases, irrational decisions that the left has imposed on Italy and Europe in recent years."

Oggi #17marzo celebriamo il Giorno dell'Unità Nazionale, della Costituzione, dell'Inno e della Bandiera, fondamenta della nostra identità nazionale.
Un giorno per rinnovare il nostro impegno verso un'Italia sempre più unita, per guardare al futuro con fiducia, consapevoli che… pic.twitter.com/D0HuHLxHaP

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) March 17, 2024

Cover photo: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Photo: MTI/AP/Evan Vucci)