In South Tyrol, the election victory of the right-wing nationalist party Fratelli d’Italia was received with concern in many places. There were fears that party leader and new prime minister Giorgia Meloni would try to curtail autonomy rights. After all, Meloni has repeatedly made critical statements about it in recent years. But now the surprising turnaround: Meloni announced that he wanted to promote the autonomy of the Italian regions within the framework of national cohesion.
Meloni wanted to promote the autonomy of the Italian regions in accordance with the constitutional requirements and taking into account the principles of solidarity within the framework of national cohesion.
Meloni for restoring South Tyrolean autonomy standards
As for South Tyrol, the prime minister said in her address to parliament on Tuesday that her government is in favor of restoring the autonomy norms that led to the 1992 dispute settlement before the UN.
In 2015, Meloni denounced South Tyrol’s autonomy status
This reversal comes as a surprise. Meloni had repeatedly made it clear in the past that this autonomy status was a thorn in her side – even when the South Tyrolean authorities refused to mark public buildings in 2015 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the war against Austria-Hungary. At the time, Meloni even questioned the tax benefits for South Tyrol. “I think you should say to these people: if they feel Austrian, then they should go and live in Austria,” she bellowed. “And if you don’t like the Italian flag, then neither are the billions of euros that the Italian state is transferring for the autonomy of South Tyrol.”
South Tyrol has the highest gross national product and thus the greatest economic power in Italy, and at the same time the lowest unemployment rate. The province benefits, among other things, from its autonomy status, which means that it can retain a large part of its tax revenue and does not have to hand it over to Rome.
New hope in South Tyrol
After Meloni’s clear turnaround, there is hope in South Tyrol that the government is serious about restoring lost competences. It is about regaining powers, which have been increasingly eroded over the years, in particular by rulings of the Constitutional Court. Regaining these competences has been a major concern of South Tyrolean politics for years.
Meloni asks for confidence vote in Senate
Meloni will undergo a confidence vote in the Senate on Wednesday. Now that Meloni has a large majority in Parliament, the confidence vote should run smoothly for her. By the end of this week, Italy’s first female prime minister will also appoint 31 deputy ministers and secretaries of state to work alongside the 24 ministers of her government.
Please abstain
According to Melonis, the South Tyrolean parliamentarians decided on Tuesday evening in the Chamber of Deputies to abstain from the confidence vote. “In her political statement, Meloni spoke clearly in favor of the restoration of the autonomous powers of the province of Bolzano, which led to the declaration of dispute settlement in 1992. This is an important step,” said the South Tyrolean People’s Party (SVP) chairman. ), Philipp Achammer, in a statement. “According to yesterday’s decision by the party board and after consultation with SVP MPs and South Tyrolean Governor Arno Kompatscher, we will abstain from the confidence vote,” Achammer said.
Tajani: “Continue to work with Austria”
This decision is also prompted by further signals from Rome, such as the tweet by the new Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani following the congratulations of his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg who was welcomed in South Tyrol on Saturday. “Dear Alexander, we will continue to work with Austria. Also regarding the standards of autonomy that led to the dispute settlement before the UN in 1992,” Tajani wrote.
The newly appointed regional minister Roberto Calderoli also sent positive signals to Bolzano. Calderoli has already announced a meeting with South Tyrolean governor Arno Kompatscher and SVP chairman Achammer. The topic of the meeting is the status of South Tyrolean autonomy, Calderoli explains.
“The list of ministers presented by Meloni includes figures with whom we have worked with in the past and who we know well, starting with Tajani, Calderoli and the new Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti. That was a positive surprise for me. Now we will listen carefully to Meloni’s speech before making a decision,” said SVP MP Dieter Steger.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
