Berlusconi Risks Gov't Rift Over Zelenskyy Comments

Leader of the centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, former PM Silvio Berlusconi, risks creating splits within the Italian gov't following controversial comments made about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend. Speaking to Italian media, Berlusconi stated that the war could have been avoided if Ukraine did not attack the “two autonomous republics of the Donbas”, adding that he views “very, very negatively the behavior of this gentleman [Zelenskyy].”

• While in most of the EU, centre-right parties have been keen to offer backing and support to Ukraine, with some right-wing parties proving more cautious in seeking to fund Kyiv, in Italy the situation has reversed. PM Giorgia Meloni, head of the right-wing nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) has voiced consistent support for Zelenskyy, while the head of the centre-right pro-EU FI has spoken openly of his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The situation is complicated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani hailing from FI. Tajani, a former president of the European Parliament, has sought to present a pro-Ukraine stance alongside Meloni. However, Berlusconi's comments significantly undercut the FM, risking internal party divisions.
• FI sits as the smallest of the three parties in the governing coalition (discounting electoral alliances), but maintaining its support remains crucial for Meloni's gov't to command a majority in both houses of parliament, meaning a major rift could prove hugely damaging for gov't stability.