Giancarlo Giorgetti's failure to sign the military supply package to Ukraine was linked to "a temporary physical impediment". The minister will sign the interministerial decree "when he returns to Rome". Giorgia Meloni thus tries to assure that "there is no question". He downplays the League's barricades (relaunched by Claudio Borghi with a warning about the possible new decree for 2027), which fall into the "different sensitivities" category, for which the majority has "always found a synthesis". And in any case "Italy's position will not change".
But it all started precisely from the League's clarification, in the wake of irritation at having listened to Antonio Tajani state that he and Giorgetti had already countersigned the interministerial decree. A problem, at least at a communication level, just on the eve of the talks in Abu Dhabi, in which Italy participated in the European E4 format (for the M5s "the new arms package in Kiev was the entry ticket").
And close to another open internal game, the choice of the president of the National Anti-Corruption Authority ("If he's not from the left, can't we put him at the Anac?", the prime minister's response to a journalist who asked if a man from the League could fill the role). The Prime Minister had quickly spoken to the Minister of Economy on the phone, who explained to her that he had not been able to read and sign the classified document because he had been out of Rome for several days. Fresh from back surgery and then from Ecofin in Brussels, he should return to the capital between Wednesday and Thursday and at that point he will sign it.
"There will be no surprises", assures Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The political problem, however, remains. Because while Meloni talks to journalists in Bologna, before visiting the International Exhibition of agricultural and gardening machinery, in Rome Minister Crosetto illustrates to Copasir the contents of the thirteenth military aid package to Kiev. "A decree that does not exist (because an act that requires agreement with various ministers until it is signed by them does not exist)", notes Northern League member Borghi, exposing Matteo Salvini's line, a warning in view of the expiry of the annual framework law to send supplies to Ukraine.
"If you wanted to make a decree for 2027, which I do not recommend, at that point - the clarification of the secretary's loyalist - there is political opposition which has been described and given as a mandate to the League congress". Last year too there was a tug of war between the League (Roberto Vannacci was deputy secretary at the time) and the allies, closed with a lexical ploy that gave "priority" to "logistical, medical, civil aid and protection from air, missile, drone and cyber attacks".
From FdI, Giovanni Donzelli hopes that "there is no need" for another decree and "that peace will be achieved, but - he underlines - we have never shied away from doing our part". The government is dominated by hope that the conflict will be over by the end of the year. Starting with Meloni, who has long been aware that support for Kiev has "a political price", and that part of his electorate does not share it. "It is a source of pride for us to have always had a clear position - claims the prime minister, stinging the opposition -. I don't know how it would go with others in government...".
"Italy's support is guaranteed", Antonio Tajani also points out. And Crosetto asks politicians not to address "the Ukraine issue with the teams' shirts". Meanwhile, the presentation of the package to Copasir and Giorgetti's signature are the last two formal steps before sending the supplies. The list is classified as always, but to a question about the possible lack of Aster missiles, the Defense Minister observed: "we have some to keep for ourselves".
