Migrants, evidence of thaw between Meloni and Macron: “We will work together”

Giorgia Meloni yesterday landed in Reykjavik, Iceland, to participate in the fourth summit of heads of state and government of the Council of Europe. The summit was also an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron after the controversy over migrants in recent weeks. Some sources close to the Prime Minister have told of a “climate of great cordiality between Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni”. The French president “greeted the head of the Italian government before the start of the summit”. Then to journalists who asked him about a possible confrontation with the prime minister, he replied: «We will work together. I think there will be an opportunity to meet and exchange our points of view. We need to work with all EU member states, that’s my philosophy, I hope to be able to cooperate with the Italian government. Italy cannot be left alone in the face of the migrant problem. We need European solidarity and the effectiveness of our common borders”.

In Reykjavik there was obviously also talk of Ukraine. Europe is united “in defending values ​​that have been hit in Ukraine” and will not accept the “right of the strongest” Meloni declared. The president of the Italian government reiterated that Europe is “an institution born to defend fundamental human rights”, and with the creation of the “register of damage caused by war” comes a “concrete signal” and “important ». The image that emerges, is the synthesis of the President of the Council, is that «of a united Europe that acts concretely. Those values ​​that we have long taken for granted and that this institution defends are under attack in Europe with the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine.”

A need that also overshadows the controversies with France on migrants. “Both here and at the G7 in Japan we will all talk to everyone. I am interested in the issues that the international community must have the strength to reiterate without hesitation at this moment. The rest are internal matters and we leave them to internal politics.

The prime minister spoke at the opening session in front of the other 45 heads of state and government present. Before them spoke the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. To which «I want to say that Europe and the free world are indebted to them. He thanked us but we are bored to be indebted to Ukraine because with his determination he made it clear how difficult it is to bend a free people”, says Meloni, assuring that “we will do our part to guarantee Ukraine the future of freedom and democracy it deserves, the European future it deserves”.