Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has rejected the European Commission’s criticism of the state of the rule of law in her country, in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published in Rome on Sunday.
Meloni, who leads the far-right party Brothers of Italy, declared her commitment to “full respect for the fundamental values on which the European Union is based” in the letter.
At the same time, she defended herself against accusations of wanting to bring the public broadcaster Rai under her control.
Her letter came in response to the European Commission’s latest report on the rule of law in the EU’s 27 member states. The report admonishes the government, a coalition of three right-wing parties led by Meloni, to ensure that the independence of the judiciary is not restricted in a planned judicial reform.
It also mentions concerns about a constitutional reform that would allow Italy’s prime ministers to be directly elected in future. And it criticizes political influence on state-owned television channel Rai.
Meloni wrote that politicians had “shamelessly” filled posts in Rai for decades and said her government was dedicated to free information, the fight against “fake news” and pluralism.
However, Italy’s left-wing opposition and journalists’ associations complain of extensive attempts by the right-wing government to reshape the programme.
In its report, the commission also criticised the situation in other European Commission countries, referring in particular to developments in Hungary and Slovakia.
The publication of the letter coincided with Meloni’s trip to China, where she is due to meet leader Xi Jinping on Monday.
