- EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 25/Jan 00:07

Salvini Threatens To Withdraw Italy From WHO

By Emma Pirnay (EurActiv) -- Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, has proposed a bill to withdraw Italy from the World Health Organization (WHO), following Donald Trump’s executive order on Monday.  “I presented this morning at the Chamber of Deputies, the League's bill to leave the WHO (World Health Organization), as did the United States with Donald Trump,” said Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, on X. Salvini’s proposal comes as the world body is freezing hiring and applying cuts to travel budgets following the US withdrawal, which contributed around 15 percent of its budget. The WHO budget for 2024-25 was set by its member states at $6.83 billion (€6.52 billion). “Italy no longer has to deal with a supranational power centre – handsomely funded by Italian taxpayers – that goes hand-in-hand with multinational pharmaceutical companies,” said Salvini, adding that Italy should use what he called “€100 million” in contributions to instead fund “our hospitals and doctors.” According to the WHO's funding data, Italy has donated €66 million to the body for the 2024-25 funding period, of which €34 million were membership fees. Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni – a Trump ally – has not yet given a public position on Salvini's proposal. On Tuesday, Germany’s health minister Karl Lauterbach said he hoped to convince President Trump to not leave the WHO, calling the decision a “serious blow to the international fight against global health crises,” reported Reuters. Similarly, former EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Wednesday that the US’ withdrawal from WHO causes “grave concern,” and hoped that “this decision will be reconsidered for the benefit of millions of people around the world.” Current health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who is affiliated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party, has not yet publicly commented on the US president’s decision to withdraw.