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Bulgarian journalist asked a strange question to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

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Jan 10, 2025 14:32 40

Bulgarian journalist asked a strange question to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni  - 1

Why did a Bulgarian journalist ask a strange question about ants to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her annual press conference yesterday, the Italian media are asking, including ANSA, "ADN Kronos", "Today", "Corriere della Sera", "La Sette", as well as the Italian edition of "Huffington Post". The strange question also came to the attention of Reuters.

Yesterday, Meloni answered questions from 41 journalists for 2 and a half hours. They were diverse - from her relationship with Elon Musk, through her opinion on Donald Trump's statements and future policies to the war in Ukraine. Meloni also spoke on a number of domestic political topics.

Somewhere in the middle of the press conference, it was the turn of journalist Alexander Yakhnadzhiev, who is the director of the Italian-based media outlet "Agenzia Vista", to ask a question. Yakhnadzhiev had this opportunity for the second time during Meloni's annual press conference. The first time was at the end of 2022, and then he asked the prime minister whether her time was linear or circular. So yesterday, when Meloni saw who was going to ask her another question, she exclaimed "Here it is", meaning that she was now expecting something atypical.

The result was a question that generated a moment of laughter, but also made it difficult for Meloni to answer, "Today" notes.

Yakhnadzhiev introduced himself and first recalled the question he had asked Meloni two years ago. Then he recalled that linear and circular time is to some extent the main difference between Western and Eastern civilization. Then he recalled that Meloni had then answered him that her time was smooth and cadenced and that she was striving to turn Italy into a bridge between East and West.

After that, Yakhnadzhiev asked his new question, which he said was very simple, but which threw Meloni into confusion, laughter and embarrassment.

"Do you step on ants?", Yakhnadzhiev asked her. "Do you pay attention to this when you walk?", he added. Then he said that this question had occurred to him because his grandmother Nadya, who is no longer among the living, had told him the belief that when you step on ants, it rains afterwards.

Meloni first seemed astonished, and then amused by the question. Then he replied: "I don't know. I'm sorry. Do I step on ants? If I see them, I don't step on them, but I admit that I often don't see them". Then Meloni added: "Is that the right answer? I'm a little confused. What should I say. The question about circular and linear time was better. At least one could have tried to come up with an answer there". Then Meloni assured that if it rains, if you step on an ant, then it will be careful with the ants.

In the press conference room in the lower house of the Italian parliament, all the journalists wondered what the point of this question was. After the press conference, Alexander Yakhnadzhiev, with his artistic appearance, starting with a long braid, said that he wanted to use his question to recall a proverb that his grandmother used to tell him, which he hopes is being heard from above. Regarding his question, he said that this is a question that is contained in the answer, that it depends on the interpretations that a person gives it, notes "AND Kronos".

"ADN Kronos" in turn commented that the question of the ants may also have a political dimension. It can be interpreted as a warning that if Meloni wants to finish her mandate, she must continue to be vigilant and be careful not to "anger the ants" that she will find on her way from now on. Or the question can also be interpreted as a call to her to pay attention to even the least visible people or details.

Alexander Yakhnadzhiev is the son of the artist Ivan Yakhnadzhiev, as recalled in Bulgarian media. He was born in Sofia in 1978 and is not only a journalist and director of "Agency Vista". He is also an editor, painter, sculptor, creator of performances and has over 100 personal exhibitions in Italy and abroad, recalls the Italian edition of "Huffington Post".

The question asked by Yakhnadzhiev was the strangest at the press conference, but there were other unusual questions and answers. Meloni was asked if she had watched a film based on a novel by the anti-fascist writer Antonio Scurati, dedicated to Benito Mussolini. She replied that she had not had time for either books or films for over two years. But then she shared that she had watched a series broadcast last year in Italy and dedicated to the case of the disappearance of the Italian Elisa Klapps, whose body was found in a church nearly 20 years after her tracks had been lost. A man was convicted of the crime, accused of another crime in another country and suspected of several other murders in several other European countries.

Meloni was also asked to comment on last year's word in Italy, which was "respect" and she said she realized that respect must be earned.

Asked how she feels as the most influential person in Europe, according to "Politico", Meloni quoted Spider-Man, according to whom great power and influence also mean great responsibilities.

Asked if she would run for prime minister in two years, when the next elections in Italy will be held, Meloni said that she was not clinging to the prime minister's chair, that she would make the decision when the time comes and based on the results achieved, and shared that being prime minister is an extremely tiring job.

Meloni also mentioned the novel "The Scarlet Letter" when talking about Musk and a possible deal between Italy and his company "Space X". She recalled that she does not do favors to friends, but she also does not accept that people who maintain good relations with her be branded with the "scarlet letter", making a reference to the plot of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel.

Other foreign journalists were also present at the press conference. For example, in response to a question from a journalist from the Greek state media ERT about relations between Italy and Greece, Meloni stated that they are excellent and recalled that Italy and Greece are also part of a number of formats, such as MED 9 and MED 5, as well as the new format created at Christmas in Lapland - North-South. Meloni said that an intergovernmental meeting between Italy and Greece is also planned.

The MED 5 format covers Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Spain, which are the first to bear the migration burden across the Mediterranean. The MED 9 format includes, in addition to these five countries, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia and France. The new North-South format includes Italy, Greece, Sweden and Finland, with their first meeting taking place on 21 and 22 December in Lapland and also attended by the EU's top diplomat, Kaia Kallas, who is in Rome today to meet with Meloni.