The relationship between the two politicians has deteriorated significantly in recent times, and this is just the latest episode of the feud.
Giorgia Meloni gets into a fight with Ursula von der Leyen, which could turn ugly, Poltico reported. Italy's prime minister is furious over the European Commission's annual rule of law report, which raises concerns about the state of press freedom in Italy and questions the independence of Italy's public broadcaster.
Since the publication of the report, Meloni has sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, in which she wrote: the criticisms expressed in the report led to "clumsy and deceitful attacks" by journalists.
According to the Brussels paper, the relationship between the two politicians has deteriorated significantly recently, and this is just the latest episode of the feud.
Senior EU officials and diplomats have questioned why Meloni is openly taking on the conflict with von der Leyen. For months, the President of the Commission tried to strengthen relations with Meloni.
Meloni, however, abstained when EU leaders voted for von der Leyen's second term, angry that he was left out of a backroom deal in Brussels between von der Leyen's centrists, French President Emmanuel Macron's liberals and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Socialists.
At the time, it was believed that the Italian Brotherhood party would still support von der Leyen when the European Parliament voted. It didn't happen that way.
According to the paper, Meloni thereby missed the opportunity to join the mainstream.
But it can also be interpreted as Von der Leyen betraying Meloni by teaming up with the left.
Meloni's critics have framed the tension with von der Leyen as evidence of Italy's marginalization in Europe. According to Politico, von der Leyen and Meloni need each other. The Commission was puzzled by the reaction in Rome to the rule of law report, especially since the report was prepared in consultation with the government.
In the short term, the tensions may affect the portfolio of the next Italian member of the Commission.
Cover photo: Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni
Source: Twitter/Ursula von der Leyen
