Italy’s top story on Thursday:

Meloni downplays deputy’s Russia comments

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni played down comments made by co-deputy prime minister and coalition partner Matteo Salvini in response to Russia’s elections, embracing Salvini in parliament and saying her government’s actions showed Rome was firm in its support for Ukraine and the EU.

Salvini, leader of the League party, had sparked renewed speculation of a government split on Ukraine when he appeared on Monday to welcome Putin’s election win by saying “when a people votes, it is always right”.

Co-deputy premier Antonio Tajani, who distanced himself from Salvini following the comments, insisted on Tuesday that the coalition was unaffected by Salvini’s comments, saying there was “no substantial disagreement” between cabinet members.

Salvini, known as a long-time admirer of Putin, has in the past been pictured wearing a T-shirt with a picture of the Russian president, while Meloni has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.

Bari’s ‘anti-mafia’ mayor investigated for mafia infiltration

Bari Mayor Antonio Decaro announced on Tuesday that his city council was under investigation by a government commission for mafia infiltration, in what he described on Facebook as an “act of war” on the part of the interior ministry.

Decaro, a member of the centre-left Democratic Party who has been under police protection for anti-mafia activity for the past nine years, said on Wednesday he would give up his escort if the allegations turned out to be true, according to reports from Sky TG24.

The timing of the investigation by Italy’s right-wing coalition government, with a view to dissolving the council three months before scheduled elections in June, seemed “very political” and was “very serious”, said Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein.

The ministry said it had ordered the probe based on evidence that emerged following a judicial investigation into vote-swapping in the city’s 2019 municipal elections that led to over 100 arrests.

Italy to increase checks in tax evasion crackdown

Italy’s tax agency on Wednesday revealed new plans to combat tax evasion which it said would bring in an additional 11.2 billion euros in revenue per year, news agency Ansa reported.

The agency plans to increase the number of audits carried out to 320,000, plus up to 75,000 audits on individual taxpayers carried out by the financial police force, as well as improving coordination with tax authorities in other countries.

The crackdown came as part of wider plans aimed at increasing revenue by making it simpler to pay and collect taxes, as Italy continues to struggle to recover billions in unpaid tax and fight a longstanding and issue with tax evasion.

By 2026, the agency said, the majority of its services would be available online or on an appointment basis, removing the need to queue up in person.

EU countries urged to step up circular economy efforts

Europe must accelerate efforts to transform its economy into a circular one focused on reusing or repurposing materials to cut waste, a necessity if it is meet climate targets, the European Environment Agency warned on Thursday.

“Decisive action is needed,” the Copenhagen-based agency said in a statement presenting a new report, adding that there was a “low or moderate likelihood” that EU circular economy and climate ambitions would be met in the coming years.

At the heart of the problem, according to the EEA, are business models in which products have a very short lifespan – if they are even used at all.

“Business models primarily revolve around mass-producing products, often  sacrificing quality, and this results in early breakdown or premature obsolescence,” the EEA said.