World
EU Commissioner and RAI top management: A sticky August for Meloni
The Italian Prime Minister is wrestling with choices over who to nominate as the next EU Commissioner, and the new Board of Directors of the public media network RAI. Both choices involve wrangling within her coalition, and were complicated by the recent EU rule of law report.
It will not be an August of holidays and relaxation for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. By 30 August the Italian prime minister must submit nominations to the European Commission for the European executive: a crucial appointment for Meloni. For months she has been aiming for a position of weight for Italy, preferably an economic portfolio, but the match is not a foregone conclusion since her influence and that of her European Conservatives and Reformists group has been reduced in Brussels.
Before that decision, theoretically by Friday, when parliamentary work closes for the summer holidays, the premier must appoint the new top management to public broadcaster RAI. This decision has now become urgent following the announcement on 24 July of RAI president Marinella Soldi’s resignation.
The two apparently discrete decisions are more intertwined than they appear. Firstly by the publication in late July of the European Commission’s report on the rule of law, which put the management of RAI by Italian politics under the magnifying glass. And secondly by the delicate relationship of Meloni with her coalition allies in the government majority, united in Italy but aligned in three different groups in Europe.
The (bumpy) race for the economic portfolio in the EU Commission
Although Italy has not yet formally presented its candidatures in Brussels, the most cited name is that of the current Minister for European Affairs, Raffaele Fitto, former vice-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament.
For him – or whoever she chooses – Meloni would like the Cohesion portfolio, the commissioner who will manage one third of the Union’s budget, oversee the Recovery fund and manage the plan to reduce administrative burdens.
But regardless of the candidate, Meloni’s ambitions could founder over recent frictions with Brussels and, in particular, with re-elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Italian premier first challenged the six recommendations to Italy in a letter and then, in a press conference from Beijing, contained in the Commission’s report on the development of the rule of law in the member states.
‘Dear Ursula’: Meloni’s letter on political interference at RAI
What ired Meloni enough to address a letter personally to von der Leyen from China, where she was on an official visit from 28 to 31 July, was the section on freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Italy, in which Brussels said it was concerned about cases of intimidation of journalists by politicians, the lack of protection of professional secrecy and journalistic sources, the delay in reforming the law on defamation, as well as interference by politicians in RAI.
In her ‘dear Ursula’ letter, Meloni claimed that “the recommendations to Italy do not particularly differ from those of previous years,** however for the first time the content of this document has been distorted for political use by some in an attempt to attack the Italian government”, she wrote, in a thinly veiled reference to the opposition and the newspapers most critical of the right-wing executive.
Then she dwelt on the three points she considered most critical, all concerning RAI and the interference of the political class in the management and editorial line of the public broadcast network, denying bias on the part of her government.
“We have received Meloni’s letter and we are evaluating it,” spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said on 30 July, stressing that the report is the “result” of consultations with the member states themselves and thus individual national governments. Meloni, returning to the issue in the first press point from Beijing on the same day, was keen to specify that the letter was nothing more than a ‘common reflection’ and that relations with the European Commission are not deteriorating.
Meloni’s rise and fall in Brussels
Perhaps so, but the episode certainly does not come at a rosy moment. In less than two months, the President of the Council has seen her newly gained influence in Brussels decline, and there is no doubt that she has had to take a few blows.
In the run-up to the European elections Meloni was courted by both the extreme right and von der Leyen – who had even said she was willing to welcome Fratelli d’Italia into the EPP – and was now considered the post-vote kingmaker. She who, thanks to the success in the polls of the ultra-conservatives, could have moved the Union to the right, and demanded for the members of her group some high office.
But then the extreme right did not break through, the traditional groups in the European parliament were able to re-establish and decide on new appointments. Meloni protested, tried unsuccessfully to influence the decision-making process, and then found herself forced by circumstances to oppose von der Leyen’s re-election, taking Italy out of the European majority for the first time.
According to the premier, all this will have no repercussions on appointments to the European executive: “I am talking to von der Leyen,” Meloni assured from China. But the Financial Times has ascribed recent events as showing ‘signs of subsidence’ in the relationship between Rome and Brussels, saying the choice of commissioner will be a ‘key test’ of Meloni’s reputation in the EU.
ADVERTISEMENTMeloni’s problems do not end there, however. Complicating the political game in Brussels – and in Rome – is the relationship with her government allies, with Lega’s Matteo Salvini trying to corner her in order to steal votes from her on the right. It is also because of these internal tensions within the Italian majority that Meloni could not support her ‘friend Ursula’.
Now she will need the approval of her Lega and Forza Italia coalition partners to propose candidates for the Commission, a situation in which mediation is necessary and, perhaps, also concessions on other dossiers, such as those Rai appointments.
The stalemate on RAI top appointments
The RAI dossier has been on the Prime Minister’s calendar for weeks, but the game has been accelerated by Soldi’s resignation, which came at the worst possible moment. RAI has never been so much in the spotlight since the time of the second Berlusconi government, in Italy and in Europe. Because of the fuss raised by the Brussels rule of law report and the numerous accusations of interference in the editorial line of the public network – now dubbed “TeleMeloni” by opposition and critics.
Several members of the Democratic Party, the 5-Star Movement and the Green Left Alliance criticised the Prime Minister’s ‘irritating’ and ‘victimising’ remarks in her letter to von der Leyen, asking Meloni to appear before the RAI supervisory commission to give explanations. They are now questioning the possible connection of the affair with the appointments of the new board of directors, taking the opportunity to call for a reform of RAI governance.
ADVERTISEMENTOthers considered that the letter indicated the prime minister’s desire to speed up the appointments: addressed more to domestic public opinion than to a European institutional interlocutor, an attempt to counter opposition narrative on bias within RAI and to overcome the stalemate affecting those imminent board appointments.
In fact the coalition remains far off even agreeing on the day to vote on the members of the board of directors, the first of several steps required to arrive at the new command structure of the network.
The League is pushing for a prominent position and may be satisfied
The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate must choose two board members each, two others are appointed by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of the Economy and one by RAI employees. After the vote, the new board of directors meets to elect the CEO and indicate the president, which must then be submitted to the Parliamentary Supervisory Commission for a vote.
Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia would like to close the issue before the summer break, but many in the coalition’s governing majority, especially the League, would like to postpone everything until September. A meeting of the parliamentary group leaders is scheduled for today to set a date for the vote, and according to Ansa, citing internal sources, a centre-right summit is also set to be held to take stock of the dossier.
ADVERTISEMENTThe thorny issue remains the appointment of the new RAI president. According to ANSA, the Italian press agency, Meloni will try to close the circle on the names, starting with the president, who must have the endorsement of two-thirds of the Supervisory Commission with the necessary help, therefore, of part of the opposition.
According to this thesis, Fratelli would accept Simona Agnes (nominated by Forza Italia) as president and Giampaolo Rossi (its own nominee) as managing director, while the League would have a councillor.
Salvini, however, is pushing to nominate the director general and others are convinced that in the end one of the current production directors will take the leadership.
The RAI nomination game is an internal one, but one that could end up weighing on the European front if there is no agreement between the majority parties and the decision-making drags on.
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Denise Powell won the Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday in a contest focused on the state’s “blue dot” status in presidential elections.
The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of Democrats’ biggest targets this midterm season. It’s also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.
Powell, a political activist, defeated state Sen. John Cavanaugh and several other candidates in the Democratic primary. She and Cavanaugh were in a tight race that could not be called Tuesday.
Powell will face Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by President Donald Trump. He ran unopposed in Tuesday’s GOP primary.
“This country and Nebraska are worth fighting for — and I’m ready to spend the next six months working for every vote and sharing my vision for Nebraska so we can finally have a representative in Congress who will serve us,” Powell said in a statement. “It’s time to be brave.”
Powell led Cavanaugh by 2.1 percentage points, or 1,080 votes, out of more than 51,000 votes counted.
AP called the race after Douglas County election officials said there were only 5,125 outstanding mail-in ballots in the Democratic primary, and a total of 830 provisional ballots from all political parties. Even if all those ballots are counted in the Democratic primary, Cavanaugh would have to win them by about 18 percentage points over Powell to close the gap, a margin he didn’t come close to achieving in any of the five vote updates provided by Douglas County so far. Cavanaugh trailed in all three counties in the district, though Douglas accounted for about 93% of the votes.
The matchup between Powell and Harding is expected to be among this fall’s most competitive House races, as Democrats try to win control of the chamber for the second half of Trump’s term.
The 2nd District is one of just three districts in the country that supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president in 2024 while also electing a Republican representative. Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.
The Nebraska GOP said in a statement Wednesday that Republicans are ready to fight back against a “radical left” that has poured money into the state.
“The left wants Nebraska, and we are going to make sure they don’t get it,” said NEGOP Chairman Mary Jane Truemper.
Powell, who is Latina, co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She had the backing of EMILY’s List and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign operation.
Powell has never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters, who make up nearly 30% of the district’s electorate.
Some Democratic critics argued that a Cavanaugh primary victory would have jeopardized the district’s “blue dot” status because he’d be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.
___
Peoples reported from New York.
World
Iran says its small subs deployed to Strait of Hormuz as expert explains threat: ‘Vulnerable to detection’
US tightens Iran blockade in Strait of Hormuz as Trump warns to shoot boats
Fox News national correspondent Bryan Llenas discusses Middle East tensions and U.S. policy towards Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt details a ceasefire extension for Iran’s regime. Bryan Llenas reports on U.S. efforts to clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian mines. Former Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite emphasizes America’s naval power and its importance for global commerce and preventing conflict in the Gulf.
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Iran says it has deployed small submarines to act as an “invisible guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz amid a series of rejected peace deals between Tehran and the U.S., according to reports.
The deployment claim came as analysts said that although the Iranian Ghadir-class mini-subs could threaten U.S. naval forces, the vessels’ limited range, firepower and endurance would blunt any real strategic impact.
The submarine deployment was highlighted by Bloomberg and first reported by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of Iran’s navy, said that his forces deployed its light submarine, referred to as the “dolphins of the Persian Gulf,” according to the Iranian state media outlet.
IRAN TURNS TO PUTIN AS US TALKS COLLAPSE, HORMUZ STANDOFF THREATENS GLOBAL OIL FLOW
Iran claims that it has deployed small submarines to act as an “invisible guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz. (Vahid Reza Alaei / AFP via Getty Images, File)
It also comes as Tehran seeks to reinforce its control over the strait, now defining it as a far larger zone, Reuters reported.
“Time would be limited, probably a couple of days at the most,” defense analyst Tom Shugart told Fox News Digital about the Iranian vessel deployment.
The retired U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer also said the small diesel-electric submarines face fundamental operational constraints.
IRAN HOLDS WORLD ENERGY HOSTAGE WITH ‘NIGHTMARE’ STRAIT OF HORMUZ SEA MINES, FORMER CENTCOM OFFICIAL WARNS
U.S. Marines aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) stand watch in the Arabian Sea during naval blockade operations against Iran. (U.S. Central Command)
“If they run their diesel engines to snorkel and recharge batteries, that could generate sound that could be detected,” Shugart said.
“Their snorkel mast projecting from the water could be detected by radars on patrol aircraft or helicopters,” Shugart added.
The submarines are said to be designed for shallow waters like the Strait of Hormuz and can operate quietly for limited periods on battery power.
“While they may be able to sit on the bottom for a while and operate somewhat quietly on their batteries for a while, they have no air-independent propulsion system (AIP) like more modern diesel-electric submarines,” Shugart said before adding that they’ll, “eventually have to come up and snorkel. This will make them more vulnerable to detection and destruction.”
INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL
A navy vessel sails in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sahar Al Attar / AFP via Getty Images)
The IRGC Navy is said to be the sole operator of this class of submarine, all of which serve in the Southern Fleet.
“Any remaining Ghadirs, if they exist and are actually deployed, may be able to lay mines and may be able to threaten merchant ships,” Shugart warned.
“But I don’t see them as a serious threat to U.S. Navy warships — and certainly not to U.S. submarines,” he said.
“But I can say for sure that I wouldn’t want to go out on one in the current environment.”
HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE
The U.S. Navy confirmed May 10 that a U.S. Navy Ohio-class nuclear-armed submarine had arrived in Gibraltar.
“The port visit demonstrates U.S. capability, flexibility and continuing commitment to its NATO allies,” U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs said in a statement.
“Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the U.S. with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad,” it added.
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Meanwhile, Shugart’s remarks came as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with commercial tanker traffic largely choked off amid ongoing military activity and the continued U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
The United Arab Emirates and South Korea reported new strikes on stranded vessels Wednesday, while the IRGC increased its fast-attack craft activity, according to reports.
President Donald Trump has maintained Iran’s navy is “completely obliterated.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
India is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from BRICS nations on May 14-15 in a precursor to the 18th BRICS summit, which New Delhi will host in September. The meeting, which starts on Thursday morning, coincides with United States President Donald Trump’s three-day visit to Beijing for a state visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Here is more about the foreign ministers’ meeting, who is attending and why it matters.
What is BRICS?
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies seeking to coordinate security and economic policy in order to amplify the demands of the Global South at international organisations and on issues where the West has traditionally dominated economically and politically.
The acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The organisation was called BRIC in its initial form – Brazil, Russia, India and China – when its foreign ministers began meeting in 2006, and when it held its first summit in 2009. It became BRICS when South Africa joined in 2010.
In 2023, BRICS extended invitations to Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after these countries applied for membership. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, but the others have. An invitation was also extended to Argentina, but was turned down as President Javier Milei, elected in December 2023, had campaigned on the promise of bolstering ties with the West.
Indonesia joined the group in January 2025, after its membership was approved during the summit in 2023 in Johannesburg.
The group sets priorities and holds discussions at an annual summit, which members take turns hosting. Last year, Brazil hosted the BRICS meeting and, in 2024, Russia hosted the annual meeting. This year, it is India’s turn to host.
This week’s meeting in New Delhi will bring together the foreign ministers of BRICS countries, who are expected to discuss economic cooperation and coordinate their positions on key global issues.
When and where is the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting?
The BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, held to prepare for the 18th BRICS summit in September, will take place on Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, in New Delhi, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
On Thursday, foreign ministers are expected to arrive at 10:00am (04:30 GMT), and sessions are expected to take place throughout the day, concluding with a dinner at 7pm (01:30 GMT).
On Friday, one session is expected to take place, starting at 10:00am (04:30 GMT).
All of the meetings except one will take place in Bharat Mandapam, an exhibition hall and convention centre located close to the Supreme Court of India.
On Thursday at 1pm (07:30 GMT), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a joint conference call with the visiting leaders from Seva Teerth, a new administrative complex that serves as the official headquarters of the prime minister’s office.
Who is attending the meeting?
Foreign ministers from within and outside the BRICS group are expected to attend the meeting.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the meeting. South Africa’s Ronald Lamola and Brazil’s Mauro Vieira are also both attending.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will not attend due to Trump’s visit to Beijing. Instead, China will be represented by China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, Indian media has reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has landed in New Delhi to participate. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono also arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday.
It is not clear who will be representing the UAE at the BRICS meeting, even as the US-Israel war on Iran exacerbates tensions between the UAE and Iran.
What’s on the agenda?
The theme of this meeting is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, according to India’s Foreign Ministry. This will focus on “people-centric and holistic healthcare, with an emphasis on collaboration on pressing health challenges, including communicable and non-communicable diseases”, it added.
However, the ongoing war on Iran is likely to dominate, and discussions will set the agenda for the annual BRICS summit in September, observers say.
“The Iran war is likely to cast a shadow over both the BRICS summit and the Trump-Xi meeting,” Rafael Loss, a policy fellow for defence, security and technology at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Al Jazeera.
The war on Iran entered its 76th day on Thursday, with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict hanging in the balance.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that, as well as taking part in the main BRICS sessions, Araghchi will hold separate meetings with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other officials attending the meeting.
In April this year, India hosted a BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa meeting in New Delhi. That gathering ended without a joint statement after Iran and the UAE clashed over how to address the US-Israeli war on Iran, with the UAE also seeing itself as a victim of Iranian aggression.
Since then, tensions between Iran and the UAE have only risen, with Tehran’s war messaging increasingly targeting the UAE.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza is also another point of stress within the bloc. At the April meeting, India – recently an Israeli ally – attempted to soften criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, leading to a failure within the bloc to arrive at a consensus on the subject.
“The meeting in India occurs at a difficult time in which the cohesion of the BRICS confronts challenges due to the closer relations of India with the US and Israel, and the conflict in West Asia between Iran and the UAE,” Michael Dunford, emeritus professor at the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex, UK, told Al Jazeera.
What about Trump’s meeting with Xi at the same time?
Trump landed in China on Wednesday evening and, after a ceremonial welcome, headed straight to his hotel. On Thursday, he will hold bilateral talks with the Chinese president, and will also join President Xi for a working lunch on Friday, before flying back to the US.
“A consequence of the coincidence of Trump’s visit to China with the BRICS foreign ministers’ summit in India is that Wang Yi will not attend, with China represented by its Indian ambassador Xu Feihong,” Dunford said.
ECFR’s Rafael Loss predicted that Trump is likely to try to convince Xi to put pressure on Iran to accommodate US demands to end the naval standoff in the Gulf and open the Strait of Hormuz.
In the past, he said, China avoided getting involved in protracted international conflict management efforts and instead attempted to “swoop in” to seal deals during the final stages, such as in the Iran-Saudi Arabia normalisation agreement of 2023, which has since collapsed.
“But if the price is right, and with Trump’s short-termism and disregard of traditional US allies, Xi could be persuaded to take a more vocal line vis-a-vis Iran,” Loss said. “Taiwan might end up bearing the brunt.”
How significant is this meeting?
This meeting of foreign ministers also comes amid an energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran.
Since early March, Iran has restricted shipping through the strait, a narrow waterway linking Gulf oil producers to the open ocean and through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were shipped before the war. Iran has allowed passage by vessels from select countries, but they are required to negotiate transit with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian attacks on US assets and oil and gas facilities in the Gulf in the early weeks of the war have also affected energy supplies.
In April, the US announced a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, further adding to the disruption of global oil and gas supplies.
This has had a direct impact on several BRICS members. Both India and China rely heavily on Gulf oil shipped through the strait. Saudi Arabia and the UAE both ship oil through the strait. While Brazil, Egypt and South Africa are not as directly reliant on the oil that moves through the strait, they are impacted by rapidly rising fuel prices.
“It is unlikely that the BRICS summit will produce a consensus statement that goes beyond condemning attacks on nations’ sovereignty in general terms as BRICS has opted to do in the past, including on Russia’s war against Ukraine,” ECFR’s Loss said.
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