Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on the attacks on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by a Russian TV presenter
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Italy-bound Jo McKenna, morning. Good morning, Mike. Now, who is this television host and what are they doing?
Who is Vladimir Solovyov and why is he attacking Giorgia Meloni?
Why are they upsetting Georgia?
Wow, I'd never even heard of this guy. But the Russian journalist and TV host Vladimir Solovyev, I don't think I pronounced that properly, has called Maloney a fascist bitch on air, a disgrace to the human race. And the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani today summoned the Russian ambassador to express the government's indignation. Georgia Maloney herself said the insult will not change her course and she won't be pushed around. But why is Russia suddenly attacking the Italian Prime Minister? I don't know if that's related to her shaky relationship with Donald Trump, her close relationship with the Ukrainian President Zelensky, or is this personal? Because this TV host apparently had a few luxury villas on Lake Como which are now subjected to EU sanctions.
It always gets tricky when you've got the luxury villas on Lake Como, doesn't it? Now, this budget deficit of yours, 3.1, I'm assuming that blows through the EU rules and regulations, doesn't it?
Yes, it does. And I know you're going to ask me, well, what does that mean and who cares and how are they going to pay? That's right, Jo, you know me so well. It's an excessive deficit. It's outside the regulations, as you said, and it means that Italy is subjected to a legal process and potential fines. But I don't know what that means. When I did a little bit of research before I came on air, it doesn't really indicate what that means.
No, it comes back to what's the point of having rules if everyone breaks them and nothing ever happens because you break them?
Yeah.
What was Italy's response to Solovyov's insults?
I mean, the only thing I could see is that there will be extra pressure now to cut spending. But this is an official notification to the European Commission, and it's not good enough according to the EU limits. That's all I know.
Hey, one of these random questions. Oh, no. No, no, no, I know. But no, this is just fun, Jo. How much is petrol? Is it up significantly?
How does Giorgia Meloni react to the insults from Russia?
Is it a daily debate on talkback radio? Is diesel killing you? And is there a great deal of angst around fuel in Italy?
Yes, the angst around fuel is continuing. I think the current price for a litre of petrol is around two euros. I was speaking to an American friend today here in Rome and he said it's not nearly as bad as it is in the US. But I think it's because the government is keeping the lid on the excise duty that they're restraining that for the moment until the end of April, perhaps into May.
What factors might have led to Russia's attack on Meloni?
Would it be that, see, you go to a place like Rome and the amount of travel you do would be limited and you don't go anywhere anyway because the traffic's so bad and half the world's on a Vespa, so the cost of actually transporting yourself isn't that bad?
It's not so bad if you're on the back of a Vespa because it is quite economical. But having said that, I think people are really suffering with those extra energy costs.
Is that why they're robbing the bank? Now, why would you? I mean, honestly, a tunnel under the bank. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
It is Hollywood. It is so good. We had six bandits who broke into a Naples bank last week. Three went through the front door and secured the door, took 25 customers and staff members hostage. Three came up through this tunnel and the back story is amazing. The police are saying that they took months to dig this tunnel from the sewers. into the bank itself and it would have taken several months. They came up through the hole in the ground there into the security vault where hundreds of security boxes were waiting to be smashed. They did that and no one's really sure how much they took because no one knows what you keep inside a secret security box.
No, indeed not. And so they're gone and they've not been seen or arrested. They've gone.
They've gone.
You go well, Joe. We'll catch up next Thursday. Always a pleasure, Joe McKenna. The only other thing I can tell you at the moment out of Europe is that Ukraine has started pumping the Russian oil through that pipeline again into Hungary and Slovakia.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:05
2
Who is Vladimir Solovyov and why is he attacking Giorgia Meloni?
0:05–1:45
3
What was Italy's response to Solovyov's insults?
1:45–2:08
4
How does Giorgia Meloni react to the insults from Russia?
2:08–2:40
5
What factors might have led to Russia's attack on Meloni?
2:40–4:17
6
How is Italy's budget deficit impacting its relationship with the EU?
4:17–4:52
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