Next Monday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Tajani will fly to New York for the United Nations assembly: they will invoke the intervention of the UN. Upon his return, the Foreign Minister will go to Paris and Berlin to propose a new Sophia mission.
(By Massimiliano D'Elia) Ursula von der Leyen accepted the invitation of the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to visit the island of Lampedusa dealing with a real humanitarian emergency. There is still no certainty about the date. In recent days the island has had to welcome around 7000 migrants (294 boats arrived in a single day), exceeding beyond belief the capacity foreseen by its structures which can reach a maximum of 700 covered places. During the various television reports we saw improvised camps with outdoor camp beds scattered everywhere.
The scene of the line of small boats trying to dock aroused many suspicions in Palazzo Chigi about an external director who was using the phenomenon for his own interests. But what would these interests be? On the one hand there are the next European elections, where the current centre-left executive would have every interest in discrediting the actions of the centre-right governments which the polls show as the next holders of the community majority.
The clue seems to be supported by a letter to von der Lyen from the socialist Foreign Commissioner, Joseph Borrell, who rejected the Italy-Tunis memorandum. The promised aid, in fact, was never given as agreed in the memorandum but was deferred over time, thus exacerbating Tunisian President Al Sayed who, not surprisingly, caused a recent visit planned to the capital by the EU Foreign Affairs Commission to fail. Then the billions covered by the agreement to be paid by the IMF to avoid the definitive collapse of the Tunisian economy have not yet been disbursed and there are strong doubts about a future concession.
Then there is the war in Ukraine, where Russia, in addition to its commitment in the field on the various open fronts, as is known, implements its much-loved hybrid war which tends to generate chaos within chaos in Western societies with the sole aim of weakening the institutions to keep them away from Russian affairs. Wagner is still present and very operational in Africa, especially in the Sahel. The fact that recently the prices of journeys of hope from Africa to Europe have fallen beyond belief, so much so as to encourage more and more masses of poor "unfortunates" to leave their lands in the throes of strong instability (a succession of shocks) raises some doubts of state in the Sahel) and a heated resurgence of jiadhi phenomena.
Faced with a scenario that cannot be resolved by Italy alone, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to Charles Michel and Von der Leyen in Brussels. With a video she then addressed the Italians.
Meloni assured that he had not changed his mind regarding his electoral promises. She is convinced that her government's strategy is still the most serious one to solve the problem in a structural way, but she wants it to be known that it takes time, especially if the work is hindered by ideological interests. And after addressing those fleeing from Africa ("If you enter illegally you will be repatriated"), she warns the European Union: the future may hold worse scenarios.
The intervention The international situation is "very difficult", "tens of millions of people" could leave in search of a future. And if the migratory pressure in Italy has become "unsustainable", Meloni wants the alarm to sound loudly in Brussels: "Europe cannot welcome this enormous mass of people" fleeing from Africa. We need "an EU mission, including a naval one", to stop the boats as they leave. In the absence of a strategy that transforms concern into action, the EU Commission is launching appeals to the countries of the Union.
Spokeswoman Anitta Hipper guarantees that Rome has the support of Brussels and, after Germany's "slap" against Italy, asks all nations for "greater solidarity". The President of the EU Parliament Roberta Metsola calls Meloni and promises "a European response".
The undersecretary on Monday Alfredo Mantovano the CISR will preside and at 12.30 the Council of Ministers will be held to launch the "extraordinary measures". An amendment extends to 18 months the limit for holding illegal immigrants awaiting repatriation in detention centres, which will be strengthened. The Defense will identify structures in locations with very low population density, easily perimeters and surveillance, to detain illegal immigrants.
France also performs a real pirouette. Macron changes his attitude and encourages the EU to "better protect its borders" and calls for responsibility: "The duty of all of us Europeans is not to leave Italy alone". Tension with Berlin is also easing. The German government explains that it has suspended the voluntary reception of migrants to "send a signal" to Italy and assures that the exchange "with our friends from Rome" will resume, provided that the Meloni government returns to respecting the Dublin Treaty.
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