Opposition voices in Italy are turning up the heat on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The spotlight? Her government's alleged involvement in what critics call a market-manipulation play tied to Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's massive €17 billion grab of Mediobanca. That's nearly $20 billion changing hands—enough to raise eyebrows across European financial circles. Lawmakers are demanding answers about whether state influence tipped the scales in this deal. The controversy underscores ongoing tensions between political oversight and market integrity in one of Europe's most watched banking consolidations.