ROME – A European Parliament resolution urging EU states to recognise Palestine has exposed rare splits across Italy’s political spectrum, including within the governing coalition and the opposition.
In Thursday’s vote, the parties in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition split three ways. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s Forza Italia supported the motion, Matteo Salvini’s Lega opposed it, while Meloni’s Brothers of Italy abstained.
The opposition was no less fractured.
The 5-Star Movement rejected the resolution as “very weak,” with MEP Gaetano Pedullà denouncing a last-minute withdrawal of a Socialist amendment mentioning genocide in Gaza as a betrayal of more than 60,000 civilian victims. Meanwhile, the centre-left Democratic Party voted in favour.
Brothers of Italy argued the text was not “balanced” enough. While formally supporting a two-state solution, Meloni’s party insists recognition of Palestine should only come with Israel’s consent. Forza Italia voiced similar reservations despite its “yes” vote.
Lega has taken the staunchest pro-Israel line, with Salvini echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument that recognition of Palestine would amount to a “gift to Hamas.”
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