Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday in Rome, during her party Brothers of Italy (FdI) festival, that announcements by the U.S. administration regarding a reduction of its engagement in Europe are a wake-up moment for the continent. In Meloni’s view, it is necessary to strengthen dialogue with the United States on equal terms.
Speaking at the closing of the festival called Atreju, held at Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo, the Italian prime minister said, “The alarm has been raised because President Donald Trump has stated decisively that the United States intends to withdraw from its engagement in Europe and that Europeans must defend themselves. That means: good morning, Europe. For 80 years we have handed our security over to them, thinking that such a day would never come and that it was free of charge,” she said.
She added that “I always say that freedom has its price, and we, unlike others, have never loved external interference from any side. We have always preferred costly freedom to a very costly and comfortable servitude,” she stressed.
She declared that “it is necessary to strengthen dialogue with the United States on equal terms, and not on the basis of subordination,” adding that “Europe is a living civilization.”
“Europe Is a Living Civilization”
She also assured that “from the very first day we have stood by Ukraine and will continue to support it, in order to defend our national security as well and to strive for peace,” she said.
“Peace is not built with John Lennon’s songs, but through deterrence,” the Italian prime minister stated.
The head of government also said that “we want to build a serious country, including with funds from the European Union.”
She noted that Italy, which had previously been at the bottom when it came to spending EU funds, is now among the leaders.
Meloni declared that “Europe is not in decline. It is a living civilization that still has its mission,” and added that “we will not allow it to become a caricature.”
The prime minister noted that three years ago, when the center-right came to power in Italy, international press headlines read, “Europe trembles, Meloni threatens European stability,” whereas now, as she added, the British Financial Times writes, “Europe should learn from Italy.”
The name of the annual Brothers of Italy festival – Atreju – refers to the name of a warrior character from Michael Ende’s novel The Neverending Story.
A guest at the event was the chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (EKR), former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki.