The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has become this Sunday night the first international leader to meet with the new Italian prime minister, the far-right Giorgia Meloni. An "informal but important meeting in the field of relations between France and Italy and the European Union", declared the French president at the exit. For Meloni, it was a "cordial and fruitful" meeting, more than an hour and a half in which they discussed the main European issues, such as the need to give "fast and common responses" to the rise in energy prices, support for Ukraine, the situation economy or migration management.
It was the first time they had met face to face. Macron did not travel especially for the occasion, but is in Rome to participate in an act for peace of the Catholic Community of Sant'Egidio, but he did not want to miss the opportunity to sit down with the leader of the Brothers of Italy, who yesterday took the reins of the country after the transfer of powers with his predecessor, Mario Draghi. On his Twitter account, the Frenchman first said goodbye to Draghi and then assured that "as Europeans, neighboring countries, and for the friendship of our peoples", they must continue the work done with the previous administration.
"Relations between Italy and France are more important than people," he settled, according to the Agi agency. In other words: even if they are at the opposite ideological poles, they do not want to start off on the wrong foot at such a delicate moment for Europe. Meloni spoke for his part of an agreement to "collaborate on common challenges and respect for reciprocal national interests."
The meeting was not confirmed until the last moment and was arranged as discreetly as possible. They did not meet at the Chigi Palace, headquarters of the Executive, but at the Gran Meliá hotel, between the Vatican and Trastevere, where Macron was later to have dinner at the Sant'Egidio headquarters. During the afternoon ceremony, at the international forum, Macron briefly greeted the new Foreign Minister, the former president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. Today he is scheduled for an audience with Pope Francis and another meeting with the Italian Head of State, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, with whom he has cultivated a very good relationship over the years.
With this new Italian Executive, the tension between the two neighboring countries, parked during the time of Mario Draghi, could be revived. In Rome, they did not like it at all that the French Minister for European Affairs, Laurence Boone, said in an interview with the newspaper La Repubblica that Paris was going to "monitor respect for the rights and freedoms" of the Italian right-wing government. Meloni then interpreted it as an “unacceptable threat of interference against a sovereign state of the EU”. Already before, the French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, had warned that France would be attentive to the respect of "human rights and the right to abortion" in Italy.
Relations between Rome and Paris have not been easy in recent years. During the first populist government of Giuseppe Conte, a meeting of the then deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio with some members of the yellow vests sparked a diplomatic conflict after Paris recalled its ambassador in Rome for consultations. The other deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, continually criticized Macron on the migration issue. According to French diplomacy, relations were at the most critical point since World War II. The attacks were continuous, from brawls at the border over the crossing of migrants, to the celebrations for the V centenary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci. The reconciliation was sealed last year with the signing of the Quirinal Treaty, a large-scale pact to strengthen bilateral relations between the second and third largest economies in Europe, which indicated that both countries should consult each other to establish common positions before making decisions. large European. It remains to be seen if this will continue with Meloni.
It all happened at the last minute, after the Italians saw Mario Draghi parade for the last time through the courtyard of the Chigi Palace, seat of the Italian Executive, to loud applause from the workers who have accompanied him during the twenty months he has led Italy in one of the most complicated stages of its history. With his eyes forward, he thanked them, raising his arms for the cordial farewell, and quickly got into a black car that would surely take him home to Città della Pieve, a small town in the Umbria region where he can finally rest from the obligations of the Roman power.
Yesterday, the former prime minister staged the transfer of powers to the new president of the Council of Ministers, who could not help expressing her shock at being received for the first time by the picket of honor at the Chigi palace, as befits her new position. "She has been emotionally impactful," Meloni acknowledged. They were together for an hour and a half, a longer than usual meeting that did not transcend the content. Most likely, Draghi told him the ins and outs of the operation of the position and also the most important dossiers that the new government will have to deal with.
Before the cameras, they performed the traditional bell ceremony, when Draghi symbolically handed over the small bell with which the meetings of the Council of Ministers in Italy are opened. Meloni rang it several times, perhaps still incredulous at the meteoric rise of a 45-year-old politician who in the 2018 elections barely received 4% of the vote.
As established by protocol, the new head of the Executive took the reins with the celebration of her first Council of Ministers. Almost at the same time, during the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis asked for a prayer “for unity and for peace in Italy”, which she thanked. “We have written history. Now we write the future of Italy ”, published the new premier, who this week will investiture her before Parliament.
At 75 years old, there are already many who hope that Draghi will accept another position, in Italy or in Europe. The range is wide, from the presidency of the Republic to a position in the European Commission. What he is clear about is that he is not willing to repeat as prime minister in the event that this far-right Executive ends abruptly. At his last press conference, this Friday in Brussels, he said goodbye with a dry: "See you later, guys."
