Long applause for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after a speech in Rimini, where she also spoke about Europe, Gaza and Ukraine.
"We need a Europe that does less, but does better," said Meloni.
"The challenge is to outline a pragmatic Europe, moving beyond the stale debate about more or less Europe," she stressed.
"My mission is to ensure that Italy regains its rightful place in the world: strong, proud and authoritative," Meloni said.
"Today, our Italy has regained its place in the world. It is not considered the sickest in Europe, but a model of stability. Investors see us as a safe country and interest rates are now in line with those of France," the prime minister noted.
"As for the EU in its current state, it is condemned to a lack of geopolitical importance, unable to respond to competitive challenges with the United States and China," Meloni said.
Meloni from Rimini also condemned the killing of the journalists, while calling on Arab countries to take action against Hamas and, at the same time, on Israel to push for a ceasefire and stop the division of the West Bank.
Meloni stressed that "we have not hesitated for a minute in supporting Israel's right to security after October 7, a horror that will remain etched in the conscience of terrorists. But, we cannot remain silent today in the face of a reaction that has gone beyond the principle of proportionality, claiming innocent victims" and also targeting "Christian communities."
"We condemn the unacceptable killing of journalists in Gaza," she stressed.
"We call on all countries to exert every possible pressure on Hamas to release the hostages still being held. And we call on Israel to stop the attacks, to stop the expansion of settler settlements in the West Bank and to allow access to humanitarian aid. Italy is the European country that has done the most," she stressed.
"Meanwhile, after three years of war in Ukraine, sparks of hope for a negotiated path have been opened, thanks to the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people and the united support of the West, Europe and Italy, despite a public opinion that is not always convinced," Meloni added.
"The key to peace is the activation of strong security guarantees for Ukraine, capable of preventing further aggression. This is the starting point set in Washington. The Italian proposal, based on a mechanism inspired by NATO's Article 5, is currently the main one on the table and for this we should be proud," noted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.