Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni faced a stormy session in the Italian Senate as she addressed criticism from across the political spectrum. Speaking ahead of the European Council meeting, Meloni responded sharply to accusations, including Mario Monti’s claim of an Italian “protectorate” under Elon Musk and M5S allegations of being a “servant to banking lobbies.” Defending her government’s policy of taxing banks and insurers to fund budget measures, she quipped, “I’ll say this with institutional aplomb,” before being interrupted by opposition protests, prompting Senate President Ignazio La Russa to intervene.
Meloni also reiterated her call for a pragmatic European approach to climate policies and economic recovery, particularly focusing on the automotive industry. She emphasized that Italy’s support for the EU-Mercosur deal hinges on protections for farmers. Turning to domestic matters, she defended her government’s actions against organized crime in Caivano and housing occupations, sparking heated reactions from the opposition, who labeled her responses as “arrogant.”
Addressing jabs from opposition leaders, Meloni dismissed Matteo Renzi’s criticism of budget measures as “Soviet-like” and brushed off concerns over her links with Argentina’s Javier Milei with humor, saying, “I’m not growing sideburns.” Closing her remarks, she took aim at what she saw as hypocritical nationalism from her critics, mocking their newfound concern for sovereignty: “I’m thrilled to see you defending national sovereignty—this might be Elon Musk’s greatest achievement yet.”
