Meloni warns Senate that Trump gas deal would fund Russia
Get European news in your inbox daily
A short daily digest of the whole continent — or just the countries you care about.
Check your email. We've sent a confirmation link — click it to complete your subscription.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used a pre-European Council address to the Senate to distance herself from Donald Trump's energy stance. She described a potential deal on Russian gas as a risk that would provide Moscow with both legitimacy and resources, while emphasizing the need for a swift European energy response.
The 2027 budget remains a more immediate puzzle. The government is behind schedule and facing European deficit procedures, leaving ministers to debate how to allocate a vaguely defined 29-billion-euro increase in energy and defense spending. Brussels has approved a request for access to an 8-billion-euro defense fund program, though fiscal limits remain tight.
The opposition 'Campo Largo' coalition has managed a rare feat of coordination, producing a draft electoral program after rejecting a proposal to increase military spending. Elsewhere, the government has allocated one billion euros over a decade to reinforce the Campi Flegrei region against seismic activity, while a new road code promises to overhaul speed limits and licensing rules for everyone up to age 65.