"Welcome back President", standing ovation for Berlusconi who claims the paternity of the center-right

"I very gladly give the floor" to Senator Silvio Berlusconi: "welcome back".

Thus the president of the Senate Ignazio La Russa gave the floor to the leader of Fi for the declaration of vote on the confidence in the Meloni government.

A statement that ended with a standing ovation from the center-right, with applause also from the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and from the ministers, starting with Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini.

“Today I will not show off my eloquence because I have so many things to say and I have written everything so as not to forget anything - begins Silvio Berlusconi in his speech in the Senate Chamber -.

First of all, I tell you that three hours ago I had my 17th grandchild "

Another element of happiness for Berlusconi is seeing his coalition in government: “It is the coalition that I gave birth to 28 years ago and which wrote fundamental pages in the history of the Republic.

If today for the first time in the government of the country there is an exponent who comes from the history of the Italian right this was made possible by a coalition born 28 years ago with me.

A coalition that has never split and that has been able to govern together and be together with the opposition.

It has governed and governs in most of the Italian regions.

A coalition that has been and always is the architect of great choices of democracy.

I only want to claim one thing: our governments have always had freedom as their guiding star.

We have never approved a rule or law or a provision that could reduce the spaces of freedom of citizens.

And we have never been against the West and freedom.

The new government will follow this same path and these same principles.

From tomorrow we will work with loyalty, passion and a constructive spirit to carry out our program ”.

“We heard from Meloni shared words about the serious emergencies we are called to face and this time without the ideological environmentalism of the left.

We are aware of the expectations of Italians and the responsibilities we have towards them.

We cannot leave businesses and households without answers.

We are facing new emergencies which are a strong cause for social alarm.

And then we must eliminate the slowness of the bureaucracy and the inefficiency of the judicial system, as well as the excessive tax burden for families and businesses.

We will carry out a tax reform for a fairer and lighter tax, without disregarding the budgetary constraints that Italy and Europe are asking of us.

Justice reform is also an indispensable priority to put an end to the unacceptable length of trials,

which last 1120 days with us.

We must return within a year, like the European average.

Furthermore, the reform of justice will not be against the judiciary, but for law, freedom, fairness.

The person must always be at the center of everything.

Furthermore we are for the protection of life: from conception to natural death, and we are for the defense of the birth rate and the enhancement of the family ”. 

“This is a particularly difficult moment for Italy and the world.

We reiterate that the main lines of our foreign policy are solidarity with the West, which is a common heritage of the nation.

I am a man of peace.

In 2002 I managed to convince Bush, Putin and the NATO countries to sign the Pratica di Mare treaty, an agreement that put an end to the Cold War.

It was considered by all to be a miracle.

I wanted to restore Russia to Europe, to face the looming Chinese expansionism together with a West strengthened by Russia.

We went back to before 2002 with Russia isolated from Europe.

But we are firmly with the West in defense of Ukraine ”.

"Forza Italia will work alongside you, President Meloni, to carry out the program. As liberals, Christians, guarantors, pro-Europeans, Atlanticists. In 1994, in this same Chamber, asking the Senate to trust the first center-right government, I I concluded my speech by talking about the possibility of dreaming, with our eyes wide open, of our better future, I spoke of the possibility of building a more just, more generous and more solicitous Italy towards those in need and towards those who suffer, I spoke of an Italy more modern and more efficient, of a more prosperous and more serene, more orderly and safer Italy ".

"These are my words then, these are my words today. To the Prime Minister and the Government, my and our most convinced and affectionate wishes for all the next five years of work".