2023-06-08 23:54:35
The chancellor extends his hand on migrants, the premier on energy. Forward together on China and Ukraine
ROMA Let’s consider the context of the last few months between Italy and Germany. Two governments, whose majorities are on opposite sides of the European political spectrum. It’s a center-right executive, the Italian one, which the German media continue to define as “post-fascist” and with a few too many ties with countries that smell like violations of the rule of law such as Poland and Hungary. To the point that The mirror (the same as the gun in the plate of spaghetti d’antan) advises “caution” to the German chancellor in his overtures to Giorgia Meloni.
Yet, within a few months, Meloni e Scholz they have met twice already, the first in February in Berlin, yesterday in Rome. Their diplomacies have completed the negotiation on the Italo-German action plan, which offers a stable and structured architecture to bilateral relations. And last but not least, the two leaders confirmed the Italian-German intergovernmental summit in Germany for the autumn, more than seven years after that of 2016 in Maranello at the time of the governments of Matteo Renzi and Angela Merkel.
Therefore, the prime minister and the federal chancellor have good reasons in calling the meeting at Palazzo Chigi a success, which saw them conversing alone for an hour, without interpreters and in English. The dialogue then continued for another hour during the working lunch, together with the staff. Meloni speaks of “particularly intense dynamics in our relationships”. Scholz defines Italy «important partner and reliable friend» and a few hours later he wrote on Twitter: «In the face of the emergency we stand side by side. Italy and Germany are demonstrating this with their support for Ukraine and close cooperation in the EU and NATO”.
There is a great deal of determination to face the challenges of the moment “together”, discounting different positions and points of view on individual dossiers. Including immigration, where Meloni recalls Italy’s “solo” effort in the Mediterranean, «
to save lives
», hoping that this work can be done as soon as possible with the other EU partners. While Scholz comes to meet her explaining that “any attempt to unload the problem on someone else or to point an accusing finger is doomed to fail”, where it is not difficult to see a reference to the French government. “There is mutual awareness that it is necessary to better protect the external borders of the Union in order to save internal free movement, i.e. Schengen”, says a source present at the talks. Scholz also spoke about migrants at the Quirinale in his conversation with the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who then praised the “precious work of the Port Authorities” in the control and “dutiful” rescue of migrants at sea.
If Scholz extends his hand to Italy on migration, Giorgia Meloni does it with Germany on energy. And the chancellor acknowledges this to his host, saying he is “pleased” with the joint decision to “continue the work of a gas and hydrogen pipeline between Italy and Germany” since the “strengthening of the networks will benefit everyone above all for the security of supply”. Full convergence on Ukraine is reaffirmed. Both on the determination to support Kiev as long as necessary, “on a political, economic, humanitarian and military level”, Scholz’s words, and on working together to find a way out of the conflict. «Ukraine — said Scholz in an interview with Courier — belongs to the European family.’ But in the talks, both he and Meloni agreed that the EU too must make important preventive adjustments, with or without the reform of the treaties, in order to be able to expand further: not only to Ukraine, but also to Georgia and the Western Balkan countries.
Good understanding also on Chinawhere Italy and Germany agree that there can be no decoupling between the European and Chinese economic areas, but that the EU must work to rapidly diversify its economic structures and reduce its dependencies in value, export and investment chains direct.
June 8, 2023 (change June 8, 2023 | 23:51)
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