Italy won’t give in to Russian ‘blackmail’, Meloni tells parliament

Italy will not cede to “blackmail” from Vladimir Putin, new prime minister Giorgia Meloni said, as she warned the energy crisis driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would set back her ambitions for government.

In a combative maiden speech to parliament, Ms Meloni said her nationalist, right-wing coalition would push for change in Europe and did not need oversight from foreign governments.

She stressed that it would continue the policy of her predecessor Mario Draghi in backing Ukraine against Russia, despite strains on the Italian energy supply.

Ms Meloni, Italy’s first woman prime minister, said: “Those who believe it is possible to trade Ukraine's freedom for our peace of mind are wrong.

“Giving in to Putin’s blackmail on energy would not solve the problem, it would exacerbate it by opening the way to further demands and blackmail.”

She added that Italy was “fully part of Europe and the Western world”.

Ms Meloni also said her government would offer financial support for families and firms hit by the energy crisis, warning that the high cost of this meant her administration might have to delay some of its more costly election promises.

“The context in which the government will have to act is very complicated, perhaps the most difficult since World War Two,” she said, warning that the economy could sink into recession next year.

Ms Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, swept to victory last month as part of a coalition that included Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League and Forza Italia, led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Her coalition partners’ relationship with Moscow raised fears that the new government would lead Italy away from Europe’s united front against Russia.

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Mr Berlusconi is a personal friend of Mr Putin and was last week recorded boasting to party MPs that he recently “reconnected” with the Russian president, exchanging “sweet” letters and gifts of vodka and wine.

Mr Salvini has in the past worn t-shirts with Mr Putin’s face on and been forced to deny taking money from Moscow for his sympathetic stance towards Russia.

The new coalition has moved quickly to dispel fears that Rome would drift towards Moscow. Antonio Tajani, the new foreign minister, said his first phone call in office was to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba to reaffirm Italian support for Ukraine’s defence.

Elsewhere in her speech, Ms Meloni sought to counter claims that she leads a racist party, saying: “We will fight against any form of racism, antisemitism, political violence, discrimination.”

However, she doubled down on plans to try and stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean, while insisting the government would respect the right to asylum.