Meloni defends the government's strategy on the Regeni case, Tajani under attack from the opposition

The Regeni family's request for truth and justice "is also ours", the government has used "all channels", even the "political and diplomatic ones with Cairo: I somewhat doubt that by closing those channels we will get closer to our objectives rather than move further away". Giorgia Meloni from Prague defends her executive's strategy at the end of a day dominated in Rome by opposition attacks on Antonio Tajani for his words on the sentence. The center-left is pushing for the Foreign Minister to present himself to report in the Senate. "I never have problems going to Parliament", the reply of the deputy prime minister, "surprised" to have ended up at the center of controversy for having said that "there was a conviction, Egypt was not condemned, three people were condemned".

The line, explain government sources, is to pursue the truth about the murder of Giulio Regeni with judicial instruments, keeping clear the need to respect geopolitical commitments and therefore keep channels open with Egypt, a decisive country in the Arab world and in the Mediterranean, which has a long series of open dossiers with Italy, including the Nessy Guerra affair. It is a line, it is argued in executive circles, in continuity with the past of Italian foreign policy, the doctrine of balance for which Mario Draghi includes Abdel Fattah Al Sisi among "the dictators" who "but we need", with whom "we must be frank".

Meloni also makes this clear when, at the end of the visit to Prague, she is asked if the government intends to ask Cairo for extradition and payment of damages and what the diplomatic consequences would be if there was no collaboration.

It starts from "closeness to Giulio Regeni's family and their request, which is also ours, for truth and justice".

The Prime Minister reminds us that the State is a civil party and "therefore we too are absolutely determined to seek the truth about the matter". "The sentence - he adds - has not yet become final, everything will have to be done in the ways and times in which it will be necessary to do so". Any discussion on extraditions, therefore, is postponed to the third degree. In the meantime, the political and diplomatic channels with the Egyptian government must be left "open".

However, Tajani is not about to be targeted by accusations.

"I limited myself to photographing the sentence", he explains, which is "limited, because it doesn't tell us who Regeni's killers are.

We want full light to shine. We never gave up and we don't cover anything up." For the minister, "diplomatic action is worth more than outcry. We have always insisted on the Egyptian authorities to collaborate. With the same commitment and discretion, not to be flaunted, we got Patrick Zaky out of Egypt and we are working to bring Nessy Guerra and his daughter home. Without outcry or propaganda".

But for Elly Schlein "Tajani has missed another opportunity to remain silent and avoid embarrassment for the country. The attack from the Democratic Party leader demonstrates that he has understood nothing of the sentence, which condemns three members of the Egyptian regime's security apparatus for kidnapping and torture. No one can any longer deny the responsibility of the Al Sisi regime". Those of the minister are "formal distinctions", attacks the M5s with group leader Luca Pirondini asking "clearly what initiatives he intends to take, what steps he has taken towards the Egyptian authorities and how he intends to defend the outcome of the Italian trial". Nicola Fratoianni, of Avs, calls for Tajani's resignation, and Riccardo Magi (+Europe) asks the presidents of the Chamber and Senate to "censor" his words, "disrespectful of Parliament and above all of the Regeni family".

Ignazio La Russa notes that the attacks on the deputy prime minister are untimely, suggesting that we wait for the reasons for the sentence. The President of the Senate adds that "it is right that Italy does everything necessary to have the possibility of these people being extradited. However - he points out - no one has been convicted of murder, even the highest in rank has been acquitted of all charges. At least let the sentence be read".