Silvio Berlusconi's words about President Zelensky, pronounced on Sunday evening outside the polling station ("If I had been Prime Minister, I would not have gone to Ukraine to meet him"), continue to provoke reactions with a long polemical aftermath: "Following Silvio Berlusconi's remarks on Ukraine, we have decided to cancel our study days in Naples. Support for Ukraine is not optional," European People's Party leader Manfred Weber said on Twitter. "Antonio Tajani and Forza Italia have our support and we continue to collaborate with the Italian government on EU issues" adds Weber, as if to "adjust the shot" and to specify, however, that the political alliance between Forza Italia and the main grouping of conservative parties, at European level, remains firm.
The meeting of the People's Party in Naples, the Study Days, was scheduled for June and, according to sources within the EPP, in addition to that of Berlusconi, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, both belonging to the EPP, were expected to participate. After the former prime minister's words on Ukraine, however, a large patrol of popular MEPs, mainly from Eastern Europe, let Weber know that they did not like the meeting with Berlusconi, the same internal sources explain.
The tweet of the leader of the European People's Party is echoed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Vice-President of the Council, Antonio Tajani, who writes: "Berlusconi is Forza Italia. Forza Italia is Berlusconi. I do not agree with the decision to postpone the Naples meeting. Also because Berlusconi and FI have always voted like the EPP on Ukraine, as the acts show".
"Inside Forza Italia there is only one line and we reject - as we have always done - any clumsy attempt to divide us. We hope, first of all as Italians, the clarification of the misunderstanding and a repentance of Manfred Weber, to whom we ask not to intervene anymore. The theme is not only the cancellation of Study days, doing a wrong not only to a party but to Italy, but also the desire to enter the internal life of a party, imposing or excluding the leaders of the same. This is unacceptable. The Study days are an excuse" respond in tone the parliamentary group leaders of FI of the Senate and the Chamber, Licia Ronzulli and Alessandro Cattaneo.
"The words of Manfred Weber surprise and we reject them with energy and determination" continue the two Italian exponents. And they add: "Forza Italia has never left any margin of ambiguity on the Ukrainian crisis and President Silvio Berlusconi has clarified on several occasions, and again a few days ago following a statement by the EPP, that he never intended to fail in the commitment made in supporting Ukraine, therefore not deviating in any way from the party line".