Open one migration crisis with Francein a particularly delicate moment at EU level on a series of dossiers, “was a double political error on the part of Rome. I hope, hope and we should all ensure that it does not spread, that the migration crisis does not lead to a general crisis “in relations between Rome and Paris. This was said to Adnkronos by Renew Europe MEP Sandro Gozi, elected in France, well aware of the Parisian dynamics.
“Nobody is interested in this – continues Gozi – e no one, neither in Paris nor in Brussels, wanted a crisis with Italy, especially on migration. It will be necessary to ensure that it does not expand, but today it is a crisis “. The crisis and” the provocation – he adds – occurred on the worst issue for Italy, migration, where it is Italy that most needs the others. And it happened with the partner with whom Italy has the most interests in common, which is France: on Ukraine, on energy, on the reform of the stability pact“.
Yet today in the government there are Antonio Tajani at Foreign Affairs and Raffaele Fitto at European Affairs, both well aware of the dynamics at the EU level: “You have to ask Tajani and Fitto – Gozi replies – for me it is incomprehensible. I have been in their place and not I would have acted like this. But you have to ask them what the strategy is: for me it is incomprehensible, but maybe I don’t see what they see “.
For Gozi, “in a few days the great work done by Mario Draghi was ruined. In a few days Italy passes from a central position of leadership to European isolation. Fortunately it was a pro-European government. “The strong reaction in Paris could have been triggered by certain statements about the Ocean Viking, which were unwelcome especially because the Rassemblement National immediately said that, if they were in government, the ship would never have landed on the French coasts: “Certainly the triumphalism, at least on a misunderstanding, of Rome does not help, if we want to be diplomats”, replies Gozi.
France, continues the MEP, “has always said to Italy: ‘you let them land and we, as we have been doing since 2019, take on a part of them, because we want the relocation mechanism. Since now it’s not mandatory, we do this on a voluntary basis. And we, like the Germans and others, have always been ready to do our part. ‘ Instead, in addition to the Italian triumphalism, there was also the refusal to dock the Ocean Viking “.
“Faced with this refusal – continues Gozi – which is one clear violation of the law of the sea, of European rules and also of that fair play and good faith with which the voluntary relocation mechanism must work, and given that in Rome, instead of taking advantage to strengthen relations with Paris, they used the Ocean Viking to make propaganda for internal use, it is clear that the reaction would have been there. We saw yesterday that we were heading towards a greater crisis, because the Italian government did not behave correctly, going against the national interest, because Italy’s interest is to make the relocation mechanisms work better. If it is Italy itself that takes measures that lead other countries to suspend relocation, rather than working to demonstrate that it is feasible, it is Italy that goes against its national interest “, he concludes.
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