Pd, 5 Stelle and left-wing newspapers tried to tell the story that the day before yesterday, in Brussels, Matteo Piantedosi had fled the meeting with the other interior ministers in Brussels. They defined it as a “turnaround” by the Italian government that puts the European Pact for Migrants at risk. In short, a schizophrenic movement that would go against Rome’s own interests. The reality is very different. What happened two days ago in the Belgian capital was a true “ambush”. The attempt, even a little clumsy, to change the cards on the table at the last moment, hoping that Italy – as has happened many times in recent years – would bite the bullet. Coincidentally, it was Germany that orchestrated the blitz, which furthermore has no intention of stopping funding for NGOs that bring migrants to our shores. The German government probably expected an obedient and silent attitude from Piantedosi. But it was different. Here’s what happened in Brussels. The head of the Ministry of the Interior had already planned to leave the meeting with the other ministers. In fact, he had to fly to Palermo, where two bilateral meetings with his Tunisian and Libyan counterparts awaited him. So, there is no escape. This does not mean that, in the absence of this commitment, he would not have made the same decision to leave the table. The reason? The German change appeared at the last moment. “Humanitarian aid operations should not be considered as exploitation of migrants when there is no objective of destabilizing the Union or a Member State”, reads the text presented by Germany.
A formula, not agreed upon, which in fact would have ended up legitimizing the activity of NGOs without regulating their modus operandi. The minister’s decision not to passively accept the change in the regulation on migrants is fully in line with the position of Giorgia Meloni, who just yesterday stated: «I understand the German government’s position, but if they want to go back on the NGO rules, then we propose another amendment by virtue of which the country responsible for hosting migrants who are transported on an NGO’s ship is that of the ship’s flag.” In fact: of the 22 ships in the Mediterranean that belong to non-governmental organizations, 12 fly the German flag. The fifth- Last fair was a real blitz for another reason too. The topic was listed on the agenda just for discussion. While some countries, under German leadership, tried to put it to a vote, threatening that they would approve it without Italy.
Piantedosi’s response was more or less the following: “Go ahead, but we’re not there.” The result is what we know: without Italy they would not have dared to vote in favor. If relations with Germany are tense, collaboration with France is strengthening, despite what could have been imagined just a few months ago. Yesterday afternoon Piantedosi met with his colleague Gérald Darmanin, with whom he laid the foundations for greater collaboration on the issue of repatriations. “Our frequent meetings – said the minister – demonstrate the desire and commitment to work together both at European and bilateral level”. At the center of the conversation were the common challenges in terms of security, collaboration between police forces, the migration dossier and among the various points discussed, the importance of creating specific communication and information campaigns to dissuade the departures and activity of traffickers. that put the lives of migrants at risk. «During the meeting, Piantedosi continued, I highlighted the importance of developing a plan for assisted voluntary repatriations». At the end of the bilateral meeting, the two ministers signed an agreement that will officially launch an Italian-French control room at a technical level in security matters.
Source: IL Tempo

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.