Migration emergency, Giorgia Meloni to Olaf Scholz: “Italy was left alone”

Migrants at the center of the meeting at Palazzo Chigi between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy has recovered the “solitude” with which it has faced the issue of migration in recent months, according to the Prime Minister, in recent months the country has rescued migrants “throughout the Mediterranean” with “extraordinary” work. An opinion also shared by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella who, receiving a representation of the Navy at the Quirinale, declared: “I want to highlight the precious work of the Port Authorities, with the daily and tenacious commitment to control migratory phenomena by sea, and with due and meritorious assistance to migrants in difficulty at sea”. Scholz himself recognized the effort made by Italy, remembering, however, that “pointing the finger is not enough, it is necessary to cooperate, even with the countries of origin and transit”. which Meloni also agrees with, considering it a priority “to work together at European level because the issue of secondary movements can only be resolved by managing the primary ones.” It is in this sense that Meloni’s visit to Tunisia, together with the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leye and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are preparing to make the trip on Sunday. that would inevitably hit us too.” The loan of 1.9 billion euros that the International Monetary Fund does not want to give to Tunisia remains at stake if President Kais Saied does not first agree to carry out some economic reforms. Italy defends the “Mattei Plan” because the challenge “is not just talking about how we intend to transfer European migrants from one nation to another, but how to manage the primary movements”.

Scholz said he was confident: “We are going to find a common European answer to the question of refugees” and asylum policies”. to the work of German NGO ships in the Mediterranean. Now, the common thread is to manage immigration with “legal corridors for qualified personnel”, but “those who do not have the right to stay must return to their country”. and Scholz. Bilateral relations, energy supply and reform of the Stability Pact. These are the other files. The prime minister and the chancellor announced that they reached an agreement on an action plan between the two countries that should be signed at the next intergovernmental summit to be held in Germany by the end of the year. The plan aims to make bilateral dialogue “more regular and intense at a political and technical level” and will allow working with a “pragmatic approach” on topics such as innovation, research, development, the market for work, social cohesion, ecology, sustainable growth and climate protection. «Italy is a reliable and important partner» underlined Scholz and the data confirm the quality of relations between the two countries. In 2022 alone, the economic exchange rate exceeded 168 billion euros, a historic record for Italy. Not forgetting the recent industrial agreement between Itaú and Lufthansa, “proof of how much our nations’ interests can converge at a strategic level”, recalled Meloni.