(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Monday that she appreciates incoming European Council President Antonio Costa's commitment to "ensure shared, pragmatic leadership" of the Council during a meeting with him in Rome, a statement by the premier's office said.
    The statement pointed out that Costa had chosen to start his "presentation" tour of European capitals in Rome.
    "At the center of the talks were the EU's priorities of action for the next institutional cycle, starting from the main crisis scenarios at an international level and the issues of competitiveness and the management of migratory flows," the statement said.
    "At the same time, the working methods of the European Council were discussed, with the aim of further enhancing its role and effectiveness".
    Costa said the meeting he had with Meloni was "excellent".
    "It is important for me now to assess what the perspectives and priorities of the various members are," said the former Portuguese prime minister after an hour-long encounter with Meloni at the premier's office at Palazzo Chigi.
    "Since Italy is a founding country of the EU, it is important to know and take note of Premier Meloni's priorities".
    MEPs from Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party voted against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's re-election last week after she blasted the agreement reached between the EC chief's European People's Party (EPP), the liberal Renew Europe group and the Socialist S&D for the EU top jobs, including Costa's position, after June's European elections.
    Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, meanwhile, said Monday that there is no risk of the coalition supporting Meloni's government being unsettled by the different choices the parties within it make at the EU level. Tajani's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) belongs to the EPP and voted in favour of von der Leyen's re-election, but the MEPs from Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League voted against, along with the FdI ones.
    "Absolutely not," Tajani told reporters when asked if these differences could have an impact on the government.
    "It has always been clear that there are different positions.
    "We belong to different families (at the EU level), but this has no impact on the ruling majority or on the government's activities.
    "FI is always at the forefront on implementing the (government) program without creating any turbulence.
    "We intend to reach the end of the parliamentary term with a centre-right majority.
    "I can reassure all Italians that there will be no problem regarding the majority holding up".
    The League hit back hard on Saturday at Tajani, who had said it risked being "irrelevant" in Europe after voting against von der Leyen.
    Tajani was commenting on the fact that the right-wing Patriots for Europe group that the League belongs to at the EU level did not have any of its members elected as vice-presidents of the European Parliament.
    The Commission president's re-election was backed by the EPP, the S&D, which Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) belongs to, Renew Europe and the Greens, but not by Meloni's Conservative ECR group.
    "Voting with Schlein in order to get a position is embarrassing," League sources said referring to PD leader Elly Schlein.
    "It's better to not have any vice-presidents than to be with the Greens and the Left". (ANSA).