Emmanuel Macron and the new Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met on Sunday 23 October in Rome, a few hours after the entry into office of the most right-wing government in Italy since 1946. The meeting took place in the center of the Italian capital, on the sidelines of the Sant’Egidio conference in which the French president took part and not in an official building, had declared before the meeting a French source to the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Mr. Macron promised to work with Mr.myself melon with “Dialogue and ambition”in a message he posted on Twitter, accompanied by a photo of the two leaders. Shortly before, the French president had thanked the outgoing premier Mario Draghi. “Thanks Mario”he also tweeted with a photo alongside the former director of the ECB.
According to Rome, the interview, “Friendly and productive”focused on “the need for quick and common responses to the surge in energy prices” at the European level, the “Support for Ukraine” or “management of migration flows”. The two leaders expressed their opinion “Willingness to pursue cooperation on major common challenges at European level in respect of their respective national interests”concluded the presidency of the Italian Council in a statement.
As Europeans, in neighboring countries, as friendly peoples, with Italy we must continue all the work we have begun. Success … https://t.co/LlMf8KHxQC
The Elysée reported that Emmanuel Macron had “Congratulations to the Prime Minister” during exchanges “Pragmatic and constructive”but also ” French “. The French head of state, who had not congratulated Mmyself Meloni from the formalization of his appointment on Saturday, unlike the German Chancellor, the American President and the representatives of the European institutionshe is therefore the first foreign leader to meet the new head of the Italian government.
Macron “completely ready to work with” Meloni
Paris, however, had been very cautious about the possibility and even the advisability of such a tête-à-tête, the official reason for Macron’s visit to Rome was a peace speech delivered on Sunday and an audience with Pope Francis scheduled for Monday. morning.
The Italian political context prevailed over these considerations, with the coming to power of the leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party at the head of a coalition dominated by the far right. During his previous papal audiences, in 2018 and 2021, President Macron had in fact had more or less formal talks with Italian leaders each time. Franco-Italian relations, in good condition as long as Mario Draghi ruled the Peninsula, risk going through a turbulent zone with the Eurosceptic and sovereign Mmyself Melons.
A taste of these tensions came even before his appointment, when the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Laurence Boone, warned in early October that France would be “very vigilant in respecting the values and rules of the rule of law” in Italy. “Unacceptable threat of interference”the woman who has since become the first woman to hold the position of head of government in her country immediately protested.
Emmanuel Macron tried to calm things down on Friday by making sure he was “Very ready to work with you”. Giorgia Meloni, for her part, has given commitments to her European partners by hammering at home her attachment to NATO and her determination to support Ukraine, appointing personalities they might consider reassuring in key positions in foreign affairs and the economy .
