by Federica Pascale
European People’s Party (EPP) chief Manfred Weber must explain why he “sells out” the identity and values of the EU centre-right to the extreme-right by supporting an “Orban -driven” coalition in the Italian elections, Five Star Movement’s MEP Laura Ferrara said.
“Manfred Weber must explain to all Europeans why the party of De Gasperi, Adenauer and Schuman, the founding fathers of the European Union, in Italy sells out its identity and values to the extreme right that in the European Parliament expresses clearly Eurosceptic positions,” Ferrara said.
Ferrara also called Forza Italia the “crutch” of the far right because it negotiated for itself just 19% of the seats while the other two allies have 76%.
“This Orban-driven centre right is a disaster for future European integration policies, and the responsibility clearly lies with Weber who has endorsed, even putting his face on it, these political choices,” she added.
EPP President Manfred Weber visited Rome on Wednesday to support Forza Italia’s campaign for the 25 September general elections.
Forza Italia has joined forces with Giorgia Meloni (Brothers of Italy, ECR) and Matteo Salvini’s Lega (ID group in EU Parliament) ahead of the vote in a coalition that has raised questions over its pro-EU credentials.
Weber said the coalition’s program has a “clear guarantee” for Europe and highlighted the difference between Hungary and Poland, where only far-right parties govern.
In Poland, the ruling PiS party is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, whose president is Giorgia Meloni, while in Hungary, Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party was expelled from the EPP due to its anti-EU stance.
The EPP hopes that Forza Italia’s presence in the coalition may move Meloni and Salvini toward the pro-EU centre.
However, when Weber was asked a year ago about the possibility of Salvini’s Lega becoming pro-European, he said that Italy needs “people who know what they are talking about and who are deep in their hearts pro-European, who are aware of a global vision.”
“My visit is to assist our allies in the EPP. Italy needs stability, and what we see from the left does not give us ideas in that direction. The centre-right is ready to govern together. It includes people who know how to govern, they have experience. It is obvious that Forza Italia is a party of experience”, Weber concluded.
*first published in: euractiv.com
By: N. Peter Kramer
