A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after criticism of his tweet congratulating so called “post-Fascist” leader and new Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni that “Germany collaborates with all European governments, and in this sense the Chancellor posted a tweet Saturday and there will also be a telegram of congratulations to follow.”
As well as his congratulatory tweet, Scholz said after the European Council Friday that Germany was ready to work with Fratelli D’Italia (FDI) leader Meloni.
“We are all together as European nations within the EU and it is essential that we democracies cooperate a great deal,” said Scholz.
“Every time that there is a change of government because of elections, as (happens) in a democracy, it cannot change the good relations that we have with the other member States or, for example, that we have between Germany and Italy.
“We will continue to work with very good cooperation between the countries and within the sphere of the European Union.”
In his tweet Saturday Scholz said: Congratulazioni @GiorgiaMeloni. I look forward to continue working closely together with Italy in EU, NATO and G7.
“All the best and thank you to Mario Draghi @Palazzo_Chigifor the good German-Italian partnership in recent years.”
Meloni replied: “Many thanks @Bundeskanzler.
“We are ready to work together to find common and shared solutions to the important challenges that Europe is facing from an energy, economic and security point of view.”
Meloni rejects the ‘post-Fascist’ label, preferring to be called “conservative”, and is the chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists party along with Spain’s Vox, Poland’s Law and Justice, and the Sweden Democrats.
She says Italy “handed Fascism over” to history decades ago, with its suspension of democracy and “ignominious” anti-Jewish laws, and says she shares values with Britain’s Conservatives and the US Republicans.
