Shorouk Express
“Some of us are aware that the rule of law in Italy has deteriorated under the current government,” Greens lawmaker Daniel Freund told POLITICO.
Freund pointed to “a difference between the general political perception of Meloni’s government here in Brussels and in Germany and the concrete things happening on the ground.” With that, he was referring to acceptance for Meloni by the center-right European People’s Party in Brussels (and the closely associated Christian Democrats in Germany).
In October last year, Meloni’s right-wing party beefed up its domestic ban on surrogacy to include arrangements made abroad, imposing penalties of up to €1 million and two years in prison for violations. The Italian government also previously opposed a European Commission regulation aimed at recognizing same-sex parents across EU borders.
Meloni’s administration as well proposed reforms of the legal system that have raised alarms about executive overreach and threats to judicial independence. Allegations of media interference and censorship have added to concerns about democratic backsliding.
Nicola Procaccini, Meloni’s right-hand man in the the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists grouping in Parliament, opposed the hearing, according to an internal email. He said selected speakers were left-skewed and all openly critical of the Italian government.
“This is not a first step, but a single meeting within the framework of the monitoring group’s work program,” Procaccini told POLITICO, downplaying the hearing’s significance. “Similar meetings have already taken place regarding the rule of law in Slovakia, Malta, Romania, and Hungary — with further meetings planned, including in Bulgaria and Spain,” he said.
