“We’ll see.” A word to answer the question of whether she and Donald Trump will speak again after the summer break. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni does not give certainties in the interview given to the New York Times.
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The direct line between Rome and Washington, which for months was based on the ideological affinity between the two leaders on immigration and criticism of “woke” culture, as he pointed out, has been interrupted. Meloni admits it without beating around the bush: “It is obvious that I thought it would be easier” with Donald Trump, but “things went differently.” With the American president, she specifies, there have been no contacts “for several weeks.”
Unity of the West
However, the premier rejects the idea that personal relationships can influence the Government’s choices: “I continue to believe that the unity of the West is fundamental. I do not decide Italian strategy based on my personal relationships,” she tells the newspaper. And she adds a claim of autonomy on the international level: “I do not like the idea of a submissive Italy, an Italy that considers itself inferior to others.”
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The migrant issue
Then there is the migrant issue. This time Meloni addresses it via social media. First of all responding to Elly Schlein: “She talks about a ‘boomerang’ and an alleged failure of the Government in managing migrants. But before making propaganda, it would be useful to know the difference between the issues being discussed. Schengen and the Migration and Asylum Pact are two completely different things and have nothing to do with each other. And it is precisely the new Pact that marks a positive turning point for Italy in managing so-called ‘Dublin’ migrants. The new rules protect much more the first-entry States regarding asylum requests and, with the strengthening of the safe Third Country principle wanted by Italy, it will be easier to carry out accelerated repatriations.”
“About 80,000 requests rejected”
“Regarding the situation before these changes, this Government opposed the application of rules that were senselessly penalizing for us and in fact, from 2023 to today Italy has rejected about 80,000 requests for responsibility transfers from other Member States. And it is thanks to the firmness of this Government that Italy has not passively accepted everything other States asked of us. What would a left-wing Government have done? Probably it would have accepted those requests, further worsening the pressure on our reception system and creating even more problems in managing migratory flows.”
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