New Russian TV attack on Meloni. Heavy insults from Solovyev. The premier: 'Forward with pride'

Very harsh insults to Giorgia Meloni, indeed unrepeatable, came today from Vladimir Solovyev, journalist close to Vladimir Putin and powerful megaphone of Russian propaganda. The deputy prime minister and holder of the Farnesina Antonio Tajanihad the Russian ambassador in Rome, Aleksej Vladimirovic Paramonov, summoned 'to express formal protests', he wrote in a post on X, 'after the extremely serious and offensive statements made by the presenter on Russian television against the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to whom I extend my solidarity and closeness'. Solidarity was also expressed by the other deputy prime minister, the leghist Matteo Salvini, who is often tender with Russia and instead this time inflexible: 'The insults to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aired on Russian TV are serious and unacceptable. Affectionate solidarity with Giorgia, without ifs and buts'.

"By its very nature, a diligent regime propagandist cannot impart lessons in either coherence or freedom. But it will certainly not be these caricatures that will make us change our ways. We, unlike others, have no strings, we have no masters and we do not take orders. Our compass remains one: the interest of Italia. And we will continue to follow it with pride, with good peace to the propagandists of every latitude'. Thus Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, replying on X to the attack by Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov, one of the main faces of the pro-government media in Moscow.

During his television broadcast, the anchorman lashed out at the premier, calling her Meloni a 'fascist' and apostrophised her with the term 'puta' ('prostitute'), accusing her of betraying her constituents and US President Donald Trump. 'What an ugly, nasty weasel,' she recoiled in Italian. The incident was picked up by several Russian social channels, where video extracts and comments are circulating. The timing is not coincidental: on 15 April Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Italy after only four months, received first at Palazzo Chigi and then at the Quirinale, once again obtaining an assurance of Rome's full and firm support for Kiev and agreeing to the launch of the 'Drone Deal' for the production of drones.

Solovyev is no stranger to expletives. As early as March 2023, the presenter had raised the tone by calling her a 'patent idiot', an epithet he often uses. 'Come on, come on, Madam,' he had begun, broadcasting a speech by Meloni on peace, 'Italian soldiers are also buried on Russian soil. Those Italians I know curse politicians like this, who take the people of Italy into another war'. Then again: 'Meloni, do you feel like walking the streets of Donetsk, see Lugansk. Give in like your fascist friends. Maybe you have forgotten. Meloni, what does the word fascists mean. You came to the fascists. Zelensky is a fascist'.

Other Italians ended up in Solovyev's sights. One in particular: the Dem vice-president of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, had been heavily attacked a year ago, again for her constant proximity to the suffering of the Ukrainian people. "Her mouth reeks of tyranny," she had attacked, invited by Massimo Giletti. 'Shame on the human race, you beast, you patent idiot'. A verbal violence condemned by the entire PD as 'intimidation'.