Italy’s lower house supports NATO membership for Finland and Sweden
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
ROME, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Italy’s lower house of deputies on Tuesday approved a bill to ratify Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO in a vote welcomed by Giorgia Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party is seen as the frontrunner in the upcoming election.
The House of Commons voted 398 votes to 20 for the bill, which now needs a second, final green light from the Senate.
“In the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, strengthening the alliance’s European front is an important step that can act as a deterrent against new Russian threats,” Meloni said in a statement.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
The accession must be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization before Finland and Sweden can be protected by NATO’s defense clause, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. Read more
Meloni, whose party is the most popular in the conservative coalition ahead of the September 25 election, had backed Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s decision to send arms to Ukraine, despite being in opposition to his government. Read more
But her two main allies, the League and Forza Italia, have been far more ambivalent, reflecting their historically close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Mike Harrison
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.