Italy has asked for flexibility on use of existing EU funds – Meloni

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Italy has asked for flexibility on using existing European Union (EU) funds, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday while speaking in Brussels.

Relaxing state aid rules could have negative consequences for the EU internal market, Meloni added as she spoke during a press conference on the occasion of the European Council extraordinary meeting.

Italy does not seek ‘pat on the back’ from Europe

Meloni added,  Italy’s government is looking to defend its national interests within the European Union rather than getting “pats on the back” from other EU leaders.

“Compared to those who thought that Italian foreign policy was about receiving pats on the back and not considering ones own interests, I think Italy’s interests are more relevant,” she told a news conference following a summit of EU leaders.

Meloni, who heads a right-wing nationalist administration, reiterated that she thought France had made a political mistake by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Paris on the eve of the summit for a dinner with the German chancellor.

“What was right and important was the picture with all the 27 EU members with Zelenskiy. That is strongest message you can give,” she said, adding that the French initiative did not take into account the importance of European unity.