Draghi ‘showman’, says no encore, currying favor with Moscow flirts

He is a Mario Draghi ‘showman’ who has something for everyone. First, for Matteo Salvini and Giuseppe Conte, the Premier should try to fly high and stay away from the election campaign, in which the rags continue to fly. He does not shy away from questions, he resorts to irony – “I came from above, they catapulted me” – but, above all, he removes every pebble from his shoe. And he reiterates loud and clear to those who show up or don’t understand that he won’t be staying at the Palazzo Sigi: “No,” is his direct, dry reply, and there will be an encore, if he has any.

Before reaching Marche, battered by waves of bad weather with a dramatic toll of deaths and injuries, the Prime Minister explains New Help Order Relaunched to deal with inflation and high bill prices, one of its latest press conferences: 14 billion in addition to the 50 already paid with previous measures. Calculator in hand, this equates to “3.5% of GDP” in aid and support, which “puts us among the highest-spending countries in Europe,” he says, adding that the government’s effort has added value: it was done without resorting to a budget gap, shouted down by parties and becoming a battleground in the election campaign. .

But the words reporters expect from the outgoing prime minister are more than anything elseMoscow’s financial dealings with various European political parties and leaders. Draghi knows it well, answering a question about a phone call with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by skimming notes, but then forcing a sharp smile on his lips as he says, Italy is a solid democracy, nothing to fear. The first confirms the “absence of Italian political forces in the list of recipients of Russian-funded material of press releases in recent days”. Blinken and the word of US intelligence, he reports.

“Italian democracy is strong, it is not to be killed by external enemies, their puppets. We must be confident in our democracy. We must not be afraid of any voice”. Nevertheless, “in the last twenty years, the Russian government, which is the result of extensive international restructuring, has committed systematic corruption in business, journalism, politics, many sectors, in many European countries and the United States. These are known things, and there is nothing surprising about them.”

The ECB’s former number one was pressed by reporters, although the parties and leaders were not linked to the story on the finances from Moscow. Jab to the club president, does not mention it. Not only that, but because of, among other things, the budget variance and the failure to vote on Carrosio’s financial response — “he didn’t keep his word” — he certainly didn’t send them to tell. But the real jab is in Moscow. “Those who are talking secretly with the Russians, want to lift the sanctions. He is also” in the election campaign, “but the majority of Italians do not, do not want to, I see the majority. It will come on the day the League votes on the CDM against the legislative mandate that provides for the mapping of state-owned concessions – among the pillars of competition reform “, the motivation ” To the government that presided over the honor of “, hence the beaches.

But Draghi seems to have some of that too with you. “In international relations – in fact, talking about the conflict in Ukraine – we need to be clear, we need stability at international levels, not reversals or reversals”. “You can’t vote in favor of sending arms to Ukraine – he says – and then say you don’t agree; or, worse, be proud of the Ukrainian progress against sending arms. His bare hands?”, he asks, telling those who have built political battles and the stories of recent months that there is no rearmament. asks.

Self Relations with Georgia Meloney, Draghi also wands the press: “Continuous embroidery”, he cut short before ending the press conference. But even on the head of the Fdi – now a step away from Palazzo Sigi given the polls – Draghi does not hide his critical view. He did so when asked about the European Parliament’s slur on Viktor Orbán and the potential damage to our country with a future centre-right government aligned with the Hungarian leader.

“We have a specific visionEurope – he says – we defend the rule of law together with our allies France, Germany …. I don’t know what the future government will do, but I ask ‘How do you choose your partners? ‘. Another consideration should be choosing partners based on a certain ideological commonality, but which will allow us to protect the interests of Italians. What partners will help me protect the interests of Italians? What are these partners? Here, you give yourself some answers.”

And on that day Pnrr, asking the Fdi and Lega to renew in light of the new emergencies, Draghi is clear: “Almost everything is prohibited, there is little to review”. The prime minister’s message to his successors is to “continue with determination” to implement “the largest channel of public investment we have”.

Meanwhile He promotes his ministers with full marks: “The government has worked well because it can count on the best ministers and I see them all confirmed” because they will “work equally and work equally” in any administration. Apart from him, Primus Inter Pares did not want to stay at Palazzo Sigi. He is reiterating this as the hour that sees him as the head of government has almost finished its run ahead of polls in the states. He recommends that Italians go and vote“The most important thing of all” before the curtain falls.