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Last Sunday came to an end the Atreju kermesse in Rome, the initiative organised by Fratelli d’Italia that saw many international and European moments. The European Union was present in this event thanks to several debates and the presence of important Italian politicians holding positions in the European Parliament, in addition to an entire panel dedicated to the ECR group. And it is precisely about the future of ECR, currently led by PM Giorgia Meloni, that great news has arrived. We had already anticipated it in a previous article: Giorgia Meloni has declared her intention to step down as president of the ECR group, also launching her personal endorsement of former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki.
THE CLOSING SPEECHES
The announcements and affirmations on international politics and the ‘Italian way’ – after all, this was the subtitle of the event – came during the kermesse’s closing speech given by Prime Minister Meloni. It was a long speech where the leader of Fratelli d’Italia made all her political weight felt, also on the strength of some recent certificates of merit received in the international arena. First and foremost, the ‘fantastic’ received from the new President of the United States, Donald Trump, without forgetting the title of most influential politician in the European Union assigned by the magazine ‘Politico.eu’, along with the positive judgments received from The Economist on the Italian economy. A position of strength from which PM Meloni was able to speak on many topics, many of them strictly related to Italian politics, from reforms to security. Without, however, forgetting to touch on some international and EU-related topics of interest. Several Italian politicians present in various capacities in Brussels also took the floor. First of all, the head of the delegation of Fratelli d’Italia to the European Parliament, Carlo Fidanza, who explained how Fratelli d’Italia is working to shift the political axis of the European Union a little to the right. A true ‘conservative revolution’ for which time will be needed and various resistances will have to be overcome. Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, on the other hand, wanted to understand ‘the Italian way’ as the road taken by Prime Minister Meloni to overcome what was professed by the oppositions about the possible isolation of Italy in Europe and the world with the arrival of the Fratelli d’Italia government. A completely wrong perspective, especially if we look at how much Italy has returned to the centre of Europe and how much work is being done to bring Europe back to the centre of the World. Finally, Marco Marsilio, president of the Abruzzo Region and of the ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions, who in his speech argued how the conservatives have now (also thanks to the Meloni presidency) assumed a more than decisive weight in the European Union. The Italian model, more precisely that of the centre-right, that unites the various autonomist, popular and conservative components, is in Marsilio’s speech not only the recipe to outvote the left, but also to give the European institutions a future.
THE PRESIDENCY OF ECR
In the conclusion of her speech, Prime Minister Meloni left room for European issues, especially in relation to the ECR and its presidency. Indeed, Giorgia Meloni announced her resignation as president of the European Conservatives group and named Mateusz Morawiecki, the former Polish premier, as her successor. Meloni recalled that she had agreed to extend her term as president when she was asked to do so by the group, in the run-up to the elections. But now, the Italian PM continued, having fulfilled her task and led the group past the ballot box, she has decided to leave office. Meloni’s endorsement was immediate, also through assurances of support from ECR members traceable to Fratelli d’Italia. Meloni made it clear that the Conservative group at this time needs a ‘full-time’ president, thus pointing to Morawiecki, whose name was welcomed by a long applause.
MORAWIECKI’S WORDS
Morawiecki, who in his speech found a way to quote Dante and the first verses of the Divine Comedy, on the sidelines of the Atreju kermesse was able to converse with some Italian reporters, talking mainly about the ‘Italian way’ and how this can positively affect the future of the European Union. This is especially so in these very difficult times on the international scene. Morawiecki emphasised to reporters how the figure of Giorgia Meloni is important above all in view of the future and the challenges awaiting the European Union and its member states, from the Green Deal to the relocation of work outside Europe’s borders as well as illegal immigration. All of this with a view to decentralising powers from Brussels, looking instead at creating value from national specificities. Then there was talk about the cooperation outside the borders of the member states, for example with the United States. Here Morawiecki emphasised that in his opinion the arrival of Donald Trump is a sign of the ‘good sense’ of the American people. Regarding the inauguration ceremony of the new president, there is the possibility of Morawiecki attending this event as the new President of the ECR, even though maybe there won’t be enough time for it. There is indeed a Council meeting to be held and then there are technical deadlines to meet, as well as the possibility of other candidacies and the need for support from the other components of the group. This last point may have less impact than the timing, since Meloni’s endorsement already puts a large number of votes in favour on the table.
RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES
In her closing speech, Giorgia Meloni then spoke about relations with the United States and the new President-elect, Donald Trump. In particular, the first mention of Trump came by mentioning the demonstrations and stances against the Security Law Decree in Italy. In fact, Meloni compared the many stances taken against this text by singers, actors and other cultural and entertainment figures, with those against Trump supported by Hollywood during the election campaign that had just taken place. Meloni emphasised the lack of effectiveness of this type of protest (in the United States, in fact, they have not moved the hoped-for volume of votes) and assured that she would continue on her path. Of course, the references to the Tycoon could not stop there. Meloni emphatically recalled that the US and Italy are loyal allies and that she, a right-wing woman, has no problem talking to anyone for the good of her country, even better if the interlocutors are American conservatives.
MIGRANT CENTRES IN ALBANIA
As also recalled by Morawiecki, among the hot topics of particular domestic and international interest is certainly that of illegal migrants. Naturally, Giorgia Meloni’s concluding speech could not fail to mention this issue, especially in view of the difficulties encountered in recent months with the centres in Albania. On this issue the PM was clear: the centres will be up and running before the end of her presidency. For Meloni, this project represents a real deterrent to human trafficking. This is because knowing that the disembarkation will no longer take place within the borders of the European Union, on the territory of one of the member states, but rather in an external country, would be a deterrent factor that could undermine the entire system set up by human traffickers. For the Prime Minister to put a brake on this initiative – also watched with interest by other European chancelleries – would be a huge favour to criminals and organised crime. In general, then, the leader of Fratelli d’Italia wanted to bring some numbers resulting from the policies against illegal immigration implemented so far by her government. In particular, there has been a -60% decrease in landings compared to 2023 and a -30% decrease compared to 2022. Of course, a decrease in departures also brings with it a decrease in the risk of shipwrecks and therefore deaths at sea.