“We must acknowledge that reclaiming our role as protagonists in history and our own destiny is challenging, uncomfortable, and costly.”
Meloni emphasized that the bloc should return to focusing on core values and national identities. “The true challenge is a Europe that does less but does it more effectively,” she stated. “Ultimately, ‘United in diversity’ is the European Union’s motto, and I believe it should genuinely inspire all of us.”
Her comments echoed those of former European Central Bank President and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who recently addressed the same audience, highlighting the EU’s need to defend itself in a world increasingly characterized by war and “great-power” rivalry.
Similarly, Meloni urged the bloc to assume greater responsibility for its defense, cautioning that Europe can no longer depend on the U.S.
“After years of outsourcing European security to the United States, resulting in an unavoidable political dependency, we must accept the cost of securing our freedom and independence,” she expressed. “True freedom in decision-making comes only to those capable of defending themselves.”
Meloni noted that her political tradition had long advocated for this cause even when it was not popular. “We spoke about the necessity for a European pillar of NATO, equal in dignity to the American one, at a time when such topics were not in vogue,” she mentioned.
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