Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU Council President Charles Michel met in Rome on Monday to talk about immigration and inflation ahead of the EU Council meeting, with the latter calling her approach responsible.
The talks focused on the issues of immigration and the European response to the US Inflation Reduction Act.
The meeting “demonstrates the attention paid to the Italian position,” said Meloni. ‘There will be some crucial challenges for us, as there are for the whole of Europe, particularly on economic issues and immigration,” she added.
Michel’s Italian stop is preparatory to the extraordinary European Council to be held on 9 and 10 February in Brussels. On Wednesday, he will be in Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.
“When the EU is well, Italy is also well,” said the EU Council president, who thanked Meloni for the “responsibility” shown during the first 100 days of her government.
“I wanted to wish the best of luck to the President of the Council and thank her for the very frank, direct and sincere cooperation at the European level we have had in recent months, based on Italian interests but also with the will to protect the European Union,” he added.
Italy is part of the group of European countries that consider fundamental the establishment of a European sovereignty fund to respond to inflation and the US President Joe Biden’s new inflation act, as Meloni already emphasised on the occasion of the visit to Rome of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Europe must protect its companies, and it must do so with courage. The Italian position means, above all, flexibility on existing funds,” said Meloni.
Meloni highlighted the European dimension of irregular immigration, which comes from the Mediterranean and Balkan routes.
“Immigration is an issue linked to that of security. It is not in anyone’s interest to be divided on an issue like migration; it would mean giving a gift to human traffickers,” said Meloni.
“On migration, we must move forward urgently (…) The EU can and must intervene starting from the defence of the external borders. And there is an awareness that Italy cannot govern the matter alone,” she added.
In recent weeks, the Meloni government concluded cooperation agreements on the issue with North African countries, from which most irregular migrants arrive, and has also begun talks with Western Balkan countries to regulate the issue.
“There is a need for pragmatic and quick answers (…) It is time to work together” by stemming illegal migration flows “before they reach European borders. The commitment towards Africa must be of the whole of Europe, and on this, I think there are important points of contact,” said Meloni.
(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)
Source: euractiv.com
