Meloni: “Italy has shown the way, and today Europe is following it.”

Italy gains greater budget flexibility from Europe to tackle the energy crisis and plays a key role in the approval of the new European Regulation on returns. These are the two results claimed by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in the video message released today, in which she emphasized Italy’s growing role in the strategic decisions of the European Union.

ROME. The European Commission has indeed accepted the request made by the Italian Government to allow greater margins for public spending to counter the effects of rising energy prices. A decision that will enable Italy to allocate around 14 billion euros over the next three years to support measures for vulnerable families and energy-intensive businesses.

Meloni explained that she personally wrote to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to highlight the need to extend budget flexibility not only to security and defense spending but also to measures aimed at containing the impact of high energy costs.

“It is an extremely important result, which many considered impossible,” said the Prime Minister, attributing the success to the work done by the government with “determination and patience.” According to Meloni, the European green light represents a confirmation of Italy’s ability to protect its interests and, at the same time, to put forward proposals deemed useful for the entire Union.

In the video message, the Prime Minister also referred to the agreement reached in recent days on the new European Regulation on returns, calling it a historic step for managing migration flows. The new rules aim to accelerate the return procedures for foreign nationals who do not meet the requirements to stay in the European Union and introduce the possibility of establishing return centers in third countries.

Meloni highlighted how this solution follows the approach already tested by Italy through the protocol with Albania, considered by the Government as an innovative model subsequently adopted at the European level. A choice that, according to the Prime Minister, faced opposition from left-wing forces but is now recognized as a tool available to all of Europe.

In her speech, Meloni reiterated the government’s stance on immigration, based on the defense of borders, the reduction of irregular landings, and the swift repatriation of those who have no right to remain in European territory.

“Italy has shown the way, and today Europe is following it,” concluded the Prime Minister, summarizing what the Government considers an increasing Italian role in the main community decisions.