{"text":[[{"start":8.93,"text":"Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sought to blame Germany’s industrial crisis and the European Green Deal for her country’s economic malaise, as she promised new efforts to support the faltering economy."}],[{"start":23.17,"text":"Measures to support the economy would top her government’s policy agenda this year, ahead of the next general election in 2027, she said during a three-hour marathon press conference on Friday."}],[{"start":38.870000000000005,"text":"Though she gave no details, she said her rightwing coalition would soon unveil new measures to lower Italy’s persistently high energy prices, which industry associations such as Confindustria complain have undermined their competitiveness."}],[{"start":56.45,"text":"“Security and growth are my two main focuses this year,” Meloni said. “Growth is certainly still too low; however, the scenario is not catastrophic.”"}],[{"start":70.09,"text":"She defended her strong bond with US President Donald Trump, though she said she did not agree with all his ideas — including Washington’s threat to use military force to take control of Greenland."}],[{"start":84.67,"text":"“There are many things about Trump that I disagree with,” she said. “International law is something that needs to be fully defended . . . When the rules of international law are disregarded, we are all clearly much more exposed.”"}],[{"start":101.6,"text":"But she added, “When I disagree, I tell him.”"}],[{"start":106.42999999999999,"text":"Meloni’s government has won accolades from international rating agencies and its sovereign bondholders for its fiscal prudence, but Rome faces growing domestic discontent over sluggish growth and a squeeze on incomes, with real wages in September 8.8 per cent below their level in January 2021."}],[{"start":129.51999999999998,"text":"Italy has one of the Eurozone’s slowest growth rates, lagging behind Mediterranean peers Spain and Greece, and it is expected to remain below 1 per cent this year and next. The country’s GDP growth was estimated at just 0.4 per cent or 0.5 per cent in 2025."}],[{"start":154.20999999999998,"text":"But during her encounter with journalists, Meloni sought to deflect any blame for slow growth. She said Italy was feeling the effects of Germany’s economic malaise because of close ties between northern Italian manufacturing industries and German companies."}],[{"start":174.60999999999999,"text":"“Our growth, as we know, is greatly affected by the slowdown in the German economy,” she said. “We are an interconnected economy, particularly with that of Germany. We are perhaps the nation paying the highest price for the slowdown, the recession of the German economy.”"}],[{"start":193.5,"text":"She also said Italian industries, including its collapsing automotive sector, had suffered as a result of Brussels’ Green Deal policies, which had tried to phase out combustion engines by 2035 but have now been eased."}],[{"start":210.57999999999998,"text":"Industries complain energy prices in Italy are 30 per cent above the EU average, which has made it tough for them to compete — a concern that Meloni acknowledged."}],[{"start":221.96999999999997,"text":"“My government has been working in recent weeks on measures to lower energy prices and aims to introduce them at one of our next cabinet meetings,” she said."}],[{"start":233.51999999999998,"text":"She also said “wage erosion is an extremely important but also very long-standing issue in Italy” but the situation had started to improve under her leadership."}],[{"start":245.85,"text":"All in all, Meloni said the government had limited room for manoeuvre given Italy’s high debt, which is at present about 136 per cent of the GDP ratio."}],[{"start":258.23,"text":"She also noted Italy’s GDP growth for 2023 had recently been revised up to 1 per cent from the previous 0.7 per cent, and said growth for the past couple of years might be revised upwards too."}],[{"start":274.82,"text":"“Would we have liked to do more? Sure, sure, but how does a head of government and a government proceed? You look at the resources you have and set priorities as best you can,” she said. “We clearly did our best with the resources given, and we’ve done so from the start.”"}],[{"start":302.84999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1768179146_1996.mp3"}