He will travel to Kiev by 24 February, the anniversary of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, a country to which Italy will continue to guarantee its support as long as necessary, because the goal is to step up efforts for dialogue and arrive at a “just peace”. At its debut in Berlin, after meeting with German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterates Italy’s support for Kiev. A position in which there is, as underlined by Meloni herself, “full harmony” with Germany. But the first visit to the Bundeskanzleramt (“I brought the sun from Italy”, jokes the prime minister with Scholz, upon arrival) is also an opportunity to go back to asking for help from Europe on the migration issue – which “cannot be managed by traffickers”, remarked the prime minister – especially in view of the next European Council on 9 and 10 February.
The issue of state aid is also central, another node that inevitably ends up on the bilateral table between Meloni and Scholz. For the Prime Minister, a “European response” is needed to strengthen the competitiveness of companies in the Old Continent and protect them from American competition after the Inflation Reduction Act launched by the Biden administration. The solution advocated by Meloni is the establishment of a “European sovereign fund fueled by new common debt”. A proposal dusted off again today by the Italian premier during the summit, but on which the Germans have already expressed themselves in the negative in recent days. Alternatively, “the fastest response” according to Meloni is to guarantee “full flexibility” on the use of existing funds: “We are now opening the definition of funds connected to Repower Eu; we have the issue of the Pnrr which can be better addressed for some parts on the priorities that exist today, such as the energy question; and there are the cohesion funds”. Resources, Meloni articulated, “which do not require new commitments and which can be used to address the priorities we have”.
On the possible modification of the state aid regime, which would favor countries with greater room for fiscal maneuver (such as Germany) to the detriment of those in debt (Italy in primis), Meloni suggests “caution” to Chancellor Scholz: “The United States is investing a lot in their companies. The question we asked ourselves is: what can Europe do to make its companies equally competitive in this scenario? We need to maintain a level of competitiveness that is the same for everyone”, explained the premier in Press conference.
As regards the issue of migrants, Meloni asks the European Council to act with “pragmatism” and “concreteness” because Italy “must be supported in defending the external borders of the Union”. And Scholz also acknowledges that migration “is a challenge that we can only overcome together in Europe”. The prime minister also says she is available “to think about the opening of our consulates in Africa” for regular entry applications “and then distribute who can enter”. On the energy front, Meloni comments with satisfaction on the 34.2% drop in bills announced by Arera and insists on Italy’s role as an energy supply ‘hub’ for himself and for all of Europe: “Our short-term goal is to secure natural gas supplies but also to rapidly become a hub for green hydrogen.”
In the joint press conference with Scholz there is also room for internal political events. When asked if he intends to confirm his trust in Undersecretary of Justice Andrea Delmastro after the latest declarations of fire against the Democratic Party (“he bows to the mafia”), Meloni glosses over: “I don’t think it is a topic that interests the international press and I will gladly answer this Tomorrow”.
Then the prime minister emphasizes the climate of tension rekindled by the threats of anarchists to Italian politicians and diplomats over the Cospito affair and calls everyone (even his own) “to responsibility”: “Mine is an appeal that I make across the board” and it is to “not divide us in the face of something like this”. “Right now we have a problem that many are underestimating: the Italian state is the object of attacks by anarchists in Italy and outside national borders”, attacks that aim to remove the institute of hard prison, an objective “which also aims the mafia… The threats against Italian officials and politicians are increasing” but in Italy “the debate is on another level”, complains the Prime Minister.
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