London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 06, 2026

Berlusconi calls Meloni names as Italy’s right-wing coalition spars

Berlusconi calls Meloni names as Italy’s right-wing coalition spars

The Forza Italia leader calls Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Melon ‘patronizing’ and ‘bossy’ in a note.

Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi appeared to describe Italy’s likely next prime minister and his supposed ally Giorgia Meloni as “patronizing, bossy, arrogant and offensive” in a note photographed by the press.

The epithets, scrawled on a piece of paper in the Italian parliament, were published by La Repubblica on Friday and escalated a row between two of the three parties attempting to form Italy’s next government.

“No willingness to change, she is one with which you cannot get along,” the note concluded.

“An adjective is missing: I am not blackmailable,” Meloni shot back on Friday evening.

The far-right Brothers of Italy leader is seeking to form a government after her coalition with Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s League swept elections last month.

But arguments over ministerial and parliamentary postings have soured the mood.

Berlusconi has refused to endorse the Brothers of Italy’s Ignazio La Russa — a collector of fascist memorabilia — as the next speaker of the country’s Senate.

Salvini told La Stampa that he had warned Berlusconi not to fight Meloni, whose party won more than one and a half times as many votes as Forza Italia and the League combined.

“I warned him, ‘Look, Giorgia has the numbers, you can’t get in the way,'” Salvini reportedly said.

Enrico Letta, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, leaped into the discord on Saturday.

“It does not seem to me to be a majority capable of giving a solid government to the country. They are only able to give the country an internal war, a permanent conflict,” La Stampa reported Letta as saying.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NHS Maternity Reform Expands Central Oversight After Critical National Review
Dover Border Warnings Highlight Post-Brexit Pressure on Cross-Channel Trade
Private Nuclear Consortium Advances £35 Billion Small Reactor Strategy in UK
UK Labour Leadership Signals Shift Toward Reindustrialisation and Regional Power
House of Lords Debates Rail Nationalisation Bill to Create Great British Railways
Scottish Affairs Committee Expands Inquiry Into SNP Financial Conduct
Evri Launches £1.2 Million Defamation Case Against BBC Over Panorama Investigation
Port of Dover Warns of Border Delays as EU Entry-Exit System Looms
Nigel Farage Referred to Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Undeclared Benefits
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over Claimed AI Datacentre Investment After FOI Findings
UK and India Finalise Trade Agreement Rules Ahead of Mid-July Implementation
UK Government Establishes National Maternity Commissioner After Major Review of NHS Care Failures
Private Consortium Plans £35 Billion UK Nuclear Programme Targeting Small Modular Reactor Rollout
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Reindustrialisation and Devolution Plan as Leadership Transition to UK Premiership Advances
Morocco and France Advance as 2026 FIFA World Cup Enters Quarterfinals.
Historic 2026 Tour de France Opens in Barcelona With Revamped Team Time Trial.
Global Mergers and Acquisitions Approach $4 Trillion Defying Geopolitical Tumult.
Negotiators Advance 20-Point Framework for Gaza Ceasefire and Demilitarization.
OECD Warns Middle East Conflict Will Depress Global Economic Growth.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg.
World Meteorological Organization Issues Urgent Alert Over Rapidly Intensifying El Niño.
United States Commemorates 250th Anniversary With Diplomatic Summits and Global Flotilla.
Iran Begins Days-Long Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff.
Technology giant reports surging carbon emissions driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure demands.
Artificial intelligence adoption accelerates workforce reductions across the technology and financial sectors.
Global technology and financial conglomerates collaborate to launch a new stablecoin standard.
United States regulators lift export restrictions on a major frontier artificial intelligence model.
Royal Society Exhibition Highlights Growing Focus on Public Trust in Science
Energy Costs and Supply Chain Risks Continue to Shape UK Business Strategy
Rapid Rise in Artificial Intelligence Adoption Reshapes UK Corporate Operations, ONS Says
UK Businesses Turn Defensive as Economic Outlook Weakens, Institute of Directors Data Shows
UK Government Faces Criticism Over Late Extension of Pub Hours for England Match
Inquest Continues Into Death of Noah Donohoe as Jury Deliberates Findings
Calls for Stronger Wildlife Attraction Safety Rules After Crocodile Enclosure Injury
City Fire Under Control After Major Blaze Sends Smoke Across Urban Area
Police Investigation Continues After Officer Killed During Road Closure Duties
Blackpool Hotel Fined £120,000 After Electric Shock Incident Involving Child
Whistleblowers Allege Delays in UK Special Educational Needs Support Services
Calls Grow for Improved Support for UK Armed Forces Personnel Facing Health Conditions
Rising UK Energy Price Cap Increase Prompts Wider Concerns Over Household Pressures
UK Businesses Remain Concerned Over Global Conflict Risks to Supply Chains, ONS Finds
Office for National Statistics Reports Rising Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Across UK Businesses
Institute of Directors Reports Deepening Pessimism in UK Business Confidence Index
England Prepare for World Cup Round of 16 Match Against Mexico in Mexico City
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition Concludes in London After Week-Long Showcase of Research
Silverstone Hosts British Grand Prix as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton Lead Home Crowd Expectations
Cornwall Van Dwellers Face Homelessness Risk as Council Tightens Enforcement
Police Investigate Stabbing of Iranian Journalist in London
Rare Copy of US Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Archive
Department for Education Data Shows Persistent Literacy Gap Among Disadvantaged White Pupils
×