Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani asserted that foreign policy is the domain of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, emphasizing that international disputes are won “with the force of ideas, not with the violence of words.” The statement was a direct response to requests for comment on the ongoing spat between League leader Matteo Salvini and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Tajani, who leads the Foreign Ministry (Farnesina), elaborated, “I always use calm tones: one must always remember that in politics, the force of ideas counts more than the violence of words. Therefore, if you want to win, you must use the force of ideas. That is what I have always tried to do to prevail.”