Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, made her commitment to the European unification process and the Atlantic community in her first government statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday morning.

"Italy is fully part of Europe and the western world," said the 45-year-old politician, who became the first woman to hold the highest government office in the Republic of Italy.

Matthias Rub

Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.

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Her government will "not slow down or sabotage" European integration, but at the same time will advocate that the EU can react more effectively to crises than in the past.

"The EU has not always withstood the challenges of recent years well," said Meloni, citing the pandemic and, above all, the energy crisis as the most recent examples.

Italy is and will remain anchored in the transatlantic alliance, in Europe and in the G-7 group of the economically strongest democracies and will raise its voice “within the European institutions”, “as befits a founding member of the Union”.

"Freedom is not free"

The politician from the right-wing conservative Brothers of Italy party assured that Italy would "continue to be a reliable partner of NATO" in the Ukraine war and "stand firmly on the side of the Ukrainian people who were attacked by the Russian Federation".

Meloni warned that Ukraine's freedom should not be sacrificed in exchange for a supposed way out of the energy and economic crises that have worsened since the Russian attack on the neighboring country.

"Giving in to Putin's blackmail would not solve the problem, it would exacerbate it," said Meloni, adding: "Freedom is not free." She expressly named the Atlantic Alliance as the basis of free and democratic social orders in Europe.

In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper published on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had "only positive things" to report about the new government in Rome.

He had "no negative impression" but rather established an excellent relationship with Meloni as the successor to Mario Draghi, who had staunchly sided with Kiev since the beginning of the war in February.

Meloni defended himself against statements at home and above all abroad, according to which, in view of the accession to power of a far-right government in Rome, compliance with democratic civil rights in Italy will be monitored.

"Italy doesn't need to be taught lessons," said Meloni, lamenting the lack of respect for the democratic voting decisions of the Italian people.

Thanks to politicians and women of social life

She called out to the concerned observers, who had spoken out in the past few weeks, mainly from France and Germany: "Spend your time on something better!" Together with Greece, Italy is "the cradle of European civilization" and also a cornerstone of the Judeo-Christian tradition.