The progressive press was quick to launch the news of Italy’s supposed defeat in Europe, of our nation’s isolation in international forums. The Fratelli d’Italia’s vote against the Ukrainian majority had been, according to a certain narrative then also staged by the political left, the reason for the definitive break with Brussels. So much so that the usual newspapers had carried headlines that now seem to have aged badly: “Meloni more isolated in Europe” wrote La Stampa, while Repubblica reported the reactions of the various parties. The Pd accused Meloni of having “isolated Italy”, the Five Star Movement spoke of “euroflop and defeat”. For +Europa, the Fratelli d’Italia had “dug an abyss”, while Italia Viva considered that Italy had been “torn to pieces”. The Post wrote that ‘in Europe, Giorgia Meloni has chosen to isolate herself’ and many other newspapers followed this narrative. With the now official appointment of Raffaele Fitto as executive vice-president in charge of Cohesion and Reforms, the only one with broken bones is the left.
Competence and reliability
In fact, the new Commissioner nominated by Italy has been given a weighty role within the European Commission, as was expected, beyond the bluster of the left: . Italy has been recognised as having a prominent position within the European Union, to the point that, during the press conference of presentation, Ursula von der Leyen explained that Fitto “will bring his great experience to modernise and strengthen investment in cohesion and growth policies”. Fitto’s work, together with the government team, in the management of European funds, in the implementation of cohesion policies and in the management of the NRP has undoubtedly played a significant role in the election of the President. In recent months, the results achieved, the modernisation of the South, the remodelling of the NRP, the new and more efficient system of agreements with the different regions for the Development and Cohesion funds have been appreciated in many quarters. Just today the agreement between the Campania Region and the Government was signed, one of the last missing pieces. In short, in recent months Fitto has demonstrated a competence that has pleased Brussels. To this must be added the excellent response of the executive in Community policies, in the role played by Italy in recent months as an international mediator and as a precursor of good proposals followed by the Union and its Member States, one of which is the model against trafficking in human beings.
Denial of headlines
The Meloni government was thus able to assert its position, its role within EU bodies, and the left went into a tailspin, ready to speak of Italian isolation, but to no avail. Giorgia Meloni, after the Fratelli d’Italia’s ‘no’ vote in the European Parliament, had been very clear: the ‘no’ vote would not have compromised the collaboration between the Italian government and the European Commission, specifying that had no reason ‘to believe that our election could in any way compromise the role that Italy will be recognised as having in the European Commission’. Prophetic words, indeed: for a few weeks later, that role has been largely reconfirmed. And just as it did before, devaluing the Italian role by talking about “isolation”, the same progressive press seems to be on the way to devaluing the role obtained by Fitto. But there can be few objections: the vice-presidency with responsibility for Cohesion and Reforms means dealing with key issues for Europe, namely cohesion policies and the PNR. The headlines thrown around by the newspapers, the heartaches announced by the progressive prefects, will be recorded only as a demonstration of the extent to which the left is light years away from the reality of the facts.
