Italy's Giorgia Meloni resigns from ECR parliamentary group

Meloni made the announcement in a speech at her Brothers of Italy party's annual youth festival in Rome on Sunday. It was attended by over 300 guests, including some representatives of Italy's opposition parties and Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The week-long festival has evolved into a platform to celebrate Meloni's government, which, two years after taking office, is establishing itself as one of the most stable in the country's recent history.

Meloni said that “political stability” is “what makes Italy more credible at the national and international level.” And she expressed confidence that the government would remain in office for its entire term.

She also said that her party would now support Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki as the ECR group's next leader.

Addressing the festival, Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati highlighted Italy's critical role in supporting the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, which is essential to maintaining the ceasefire agreement. Mikati stressed that respecting the terms of the truce is essential to achieving long-term stability in the region.

Meanwhile, speaking about the downfall of Syria's Assad regime, Mikati also stressed the importance of the EU's role in facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.