Juncker warns of close cooperation with Meloni in the crash of an EU military helicopter off the coast of Mexico: at least three dead

“I am absolutely against Meloni joining the EPP,” the Luxembourger told the Catholic newspaper “Die Tagespost”. This would amount to downplaying the extreme right.

He admits that Meloni behaves more docile in Europe. Before the elections, she did not hide her real ideas, explained Juncker, who was also Prime Minister of Luxembourg for many years before his term as President of the European Commission (2014-2019).

CSU politician and EPP leader Manfred Weber, among others, had recently opened up to cooperation with Meloni. He said last year he shared his concerns about the history of Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party. But today we are talking about how we as Europeans can solve Europe’s major problems together. Meloni is constructive about Europe, is on the side of Ukraine and there are no problems with the rule of law in Italy.

Shortly before the EPP congress next Wednesday and Thursday, Weber reiterated this position. “Why not work with right-wing conservatives such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala?” he told “Welt am Sonntag”. In the newly elected European Parliament, selective cooperation with Europe-friendly conservatives is just as conceivable as cooperation with the Greens.

In addition to the German CDU and CSU, the EPP includes the Italian Forza Italia, the Spanish conservative People’s Party PP and the Austrian ÖVP. The members of the Fratelli d’Italia are currently members of the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). This also includes, for example, the national conservative Polish ruling party PiS and the former AfD MP Lars Patrick Berg from Germany. (sda/dpa)