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Manfred Weber, leader of the Conservative Party in the European Parliament, said that Italy’s government leaders received strong support in the European elections, so Italy is likely to play an important role in the next European Commission.
“Italy is one of the most important countries. Merloni and Tajani gained a lot of support in the European elections, while Macron and Scholz became the biggest losers,” Weber said in an interview. Corriere della Sera On Thursday, when asked about the possibility of an Italian vice presidency.
He added: “I am in favour of giving Italy a strong role.”
Weber traveled to Rome on Wednesday afternoon for an impromptu meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meroni.
Although Meroni is not part of the pro-EU majority and does not support von der Leyen’s re-election, his main goal is to secure a large number of posts for Italy and serve as executive vice president of the European Commission. Weber’s comments appear to support Meroni’s ambitions.
When asked why Meloni decided to announce her commissioner pick at the last minute, Weber said: “I see no problem with meeting the Aug. 30 deadline.”
Raffaele Fitto, minister for European affairs and cohesion policy, is expected to take on the role. NomineesFormal confirmation is expected at the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday (August 30) afternoon.
During his visit to Rome, Weber met with Fito before his formal meeting with Meroni.
“We are awaiting Merloni’s decision. Fito is a close friend of mine, a staunch defender of Italian interests, a responsible and very intelligent person,” Weber said, confirming Fito’s candidacy.
In the interview, Weber highlighted Italy’s growing importance in Brussels, noting that Merloni is now “respected as prime minister” and her center-right government is increasingly seen as “pro-European” and “credible.”
Weber attributes much of this progress to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who served as vice president of the European People’s Party for 22 years.
While Weber was full of praise for Merloni and Tajani, he was less kind to another deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, noting that the “League is part of the Patriot Bloc and has no influence on decision-making.”
The meeting between Merloni and Weber was not on the prime minister’s official agenda, suggesting it may have been arranged by Tajani, who has been working for weeks to strengthen ties between Merloni’s ECR group and the EPP.
(Editing by Daniel Ek)
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