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Italy's Meloni: probe against me may push away foreign investors
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 30, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 30, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni faces an investigation that could deter foreign investment, despite her party's popularity and recent bond purchases by Norway.
ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday an investigation targeting her over the release of a Libyan war crimes suspect was bad publicity that could push away much-needed foreign investment.
"The point is that what is happening above all damages the nation ... That is what frankly drives me a little crazy," Meloni told a business conference in Milan, speaking via a video link.
Italy's leader has been placed under investigation for aiding and abetting a crime and misuse of public funds in connection with the release and repatriation of senior Libyan police officer Osama Elmasry Njeem.
Njeem was arrested in Turin on Jan. 19 on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), but freed two days later, officially because of a procedural fault with his arrest, and flown back to Libya on a government plane.
Meloni, renewing her criticism of the judiciary, said the affair was tarnishing Italy's international image, pointing out that news of her being put under investigation had made it to the front page of the Financial Times.
She said that could put off investors such as the Norwegian wealth fund Norges, which she said had recently increased its holdings of Italian sovereign bonds to more than 8 billion euros ($8.33 billion).
"After reading this news, do you think that this Norwegian investment fund that has just bought 8 billion euros of Italian government bonds will be more likely to buy 9 (billion), 7 (billion), or maybe zero," she said.
The investigation into Meloni, which also concerns three other government members, is unlikely to go to trial. Even if judges request it, it would need to be authorized by parliament, where the government has a solid majority.
Amid the controversy, and a stagnating economy, Meloni and her conservative allies remain popular. Support for her Brothers of Italy party is at an almost two-year high at more than 30%, an average of opinion polls showed on Thursday.
($1 = 0.9605 euros)
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Additional reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is under investigation for aiding and abetting a crime and misuse of public funds related to the release of a Libyan war crimes suspect.
Meloni stated that the investigation damages Italy's international image and could deter foreign investors, particularly highlighting concerns from the Norwegian wealth fund.
The Norwegian wealth fund Norges recently increased its holdings of Italian sovereign bonds to more than 8 billion euros.
Despite the controversy and a stagnating economy, Meloni and her conservative allies remain popular, with support for her Brothers of Italy party at over 30%.
The investigation into Meloni is unlikely to go to trial, as any judicial request would need authorization from parliament, where her government holds a majority.
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