For the government is a fixed idea. Guido CrocitoThe defense minister makes an appeal to the US and the IMF: if Kais Saied’s Tunisia ends up defaulting, he will risk not only Europe but “the entire West”.
Your Excellency, despite the mission of the European Union, the road to canceling the IMF loan to Tunisia is still arduous. Is there a plan B to save the country from bankruptcy?
“There must be a plan (b), (c) and (d). We must not become obsessed with only one solution but rather try to achieve the goal. Either Europe will help Tunisia and Africa grow or it will not have a future.”
Are you afraid of the prosperity of those departing from the Tunisian coast?
“The stakes are higher. Europe can not only worry about escalating landings, it must think about the fate of a continent which in fifteen or twenty years will have two and a half billion people. If it does not act, it will leave Africa under the influence of Russia and China, who are They want to exploit it just like the European colonialists a century ago.
Will the United States convince them that the Tunisian social collapse is a security problem that worries them as well?
«It is strange to make him understand, some things should not be explained. The lack of help from the West not only puts Tunisia in a bind, but also hands it over to the powers that be willing to use it to put the West in a crisis within a few years.”
Can Russia use African immigration as a weapon against Europe?
“Indirectly, yes. It exists in Africa with soldiers and mercenaries, like Wagner, who have managed to infiltrate the governments of different countries, and I am thinking of the recent case of Sudan. They pit one side against the other, creating paths of instability that force hundreds of thousands of people into Immigration ».
We are one month away from the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Will Italy highlight the dangers from the southern side and the dangers of uncontrolled migration?
NATO has its own strategic priorities. In Africa, the first concern is the destabilization of the Sahel region through terrorism and the infiltration of foreign powers into the institutions of these countries. Illegal immigration controlled by criminal organizations is a secondary derivative, a wake-up call that we are aware of its potential danger because we are the closest country.”
Speaking of ultimatums, why did the Italian special forces intervene to free the Turkish ship off the coast of Sorrento? was necessary?
“The presence of armed personnel on board a merchant ship, who do not respond to the judgments of the crew, always poses a potentially serious threat to the crew, and requires immediate intervention by the authorities to restore the safety conditions necessary for the continuation of navigation. . The San Marco battalion acted according to protocol ».
He predicted that there would be a need to review the Italian armed forces. what is he talking about?
Not only the Italian. There is a need to rethink the mission and rules of engagement for our armed forces. Until recently they were organized as forces for use in peace operations, and today they can increasingly be called upon to play the role of special forces.”
Let’s talk about Ukraine. Is sending aircraft on the table? Is there a limit to Italian military support?
“It was never on the table. Italy was and remains on the side of the Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression. We clearly sow hope that the war will end and that this assistance will no longer be needed.”
Will you use Pnrr money to buy ammo?
We said no right away, Pnrr has another assignment. We have made it clear for months that it would be far more dangerous to exclude defense investment expenditures from the new Stability Pact.”
Brussels swears request. Did you get an opening from Germany from Chancellor Schultz’s recent visit to Rome?
“We believe that it is not in the interest of any European country to defend the restrictions and rules that were conceived fifteen years ago at the expense of European social structures that are now in danger of collapse. The crisis hit all European countries first with the epidemic, now with war, inflation and loss of purchasing power for families a common problem. Debt is not used to waste or finance ridiculous bonuses, but rather to support health care and universities for the most vulnerable.”
Will you agree with France to reform the charter, leaving aside the sharpness of recent months?
“I hope so. However, I would add, there was sharpness only on the French side, and in particular in some of the ministers. Italy never responded to slaps and showed seriousness and patience. Calmness is the virtue of the strong.”
Today the inspectors of the Pnrr Commission will be in Rome. The government seems to be complaining about the EU’s insistence on an Italian recovery that didn’t exist before. Is this correct?
I don’t know if there is stubbornness, I know for sure that Italy has not changed for the worse. The course of reforms requested by Pnrr has not slowed down, and Draghi could have done no more. Banner problem may be another problem ».
that by saying?
«The ability of the state system to absorb it, and convert the plan figures into public works, trucks, cement mixers, construction factories, engineering watches, and labor workers. We will meet the August deadline, but we will also ensure that funding matches real and potential projects.”
Is the delay the fault of the bureaucracy?
“Bureaucracy is part of the solution and it is also part of the problem. It is the skeleton of the country, and without the skeleton no living organism can move. Then there are the officials, a small minority, who hope for ideological reasons that Banner’s party will fail.”
Is Italy “blackmailing” Europe over the Messiah?
“He delivers! In the European Union, all countries negotiate, and negotiation also means holding on to cards that concern others.”
There is one year left before the European elections. Is it true that you applied?
“No. The position of European Parliamentarian is not compatible with the position of government. I have made a commitment and I will keep it.
Are you sure the popular-conservative pivot has the numbers to win?
“The numbers are there, this agreement is fatal for Europe. We have an opportunity to change the European Union, and to treat it from a Timmermans-style ideological approach with which we give the future of European industry to foreign powers and competitors ».
Forza Italia and EPP closed Matteo Salvini’s league. You?
“I am convinced that the scheme of alliance carried out in Italy must also be valid in Europe. The Salvini League is a European force, in my opinion, similar to the German Christian Social Union. It should be on the inside.”
leaving Le Pen?
“This is a political choice for Salvini alone.”
Reforms: Will you go ahead with the premiership even at the expense of facing the referendum?
“I believe that the greatest possible consensus on constitutional reforms should be sought. But it is a commitment we made with the country and we will continue it.
Does differentiated autonomy risk creating inequality?
“I am convinced that money should be spent best by those who spend it, usually from the municipalities and regions. However, there are challenges for the future, such as technology, education, energy and defense itself, which even Italy alone is not enough. Thinking of assigning them to the regions only is madness.”
Read the full article
on the messenger
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”
