The state visit of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella in France two days ago, looks to the future. The talks with the French President, Emmanuel Macron and with the highest officials in the country have not only consolidated an excellent state of bilateral relations but have laid the foundations for future collaboration on fundamental aspects of European construction, starting with the new European Treaties and on thorny dossiers such as immigration and stabilization of Libya. The idea that Mattarella and Macron share is that of a stronger Europe capable of responding to the new needs of European citizens. In view of the Conference on the future of the Union, Italy and France will work together to reform the Lisbon Treaty, which is now insufficient to face the challenges that await us.
Axis against sovereignists and “frugal”
That of Mattarella and Macron did not take on the tone of a political manifesto in antithesis to the Charter of values of Orban and Le Pen, but a concrete message to the so-called sovereign countries (Poland and Hungary in the lead) and to the so-called “frugal” (Holland and Finland) which highlights the mission of the Union. The countries that are asking for less Europe today – this is the sense of the common reasoning of the two presidents – perhaps did not understand well from the moment of their entry into the EU what the values and aims of Europe were. As for the frugal, no one is chasing the idea of a Europe based on debt, but progress must also be made on common taxation.
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Mattarella: Italy cannot fail on the Next Generation EU
But in his speeches at the Sorbonne and the Senate, Mattarella also highlighted the responsibilities that await Italy in the implementation of the EU Next Generation. “We can’t fail, it doesn’t have to happen,” Mattarella said. Similar concepts have also been expressed by Macron. France, which will take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council at the beginning of 2022, taking over from Slovenia, will work with Italy and Germany to make full use of EU funds for the post-pandemic recovery. But France wants to maintain a very special relationship with Italy. Macron himself raised the immigration issue dear to the Italian government by agreeing with Mattarella that the dossier is now in all respects a Community competence and if there is a problem of controlling the European borders, it is also necessary to address the issue of relocation and solidarity between countries. of the South and the North. Full agreement also on Libya and on the road map that will lead to the elections on 24 December. Macron then appreciated Italy’s commitment to the Sahel in French-led missions, sharing the risks of an excessive presence of Russia and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.
Everything is ready for the Quirinal Treaty in autumn
The climate is therefore very favorable to definitively open the way to the final text of the so-called Quirinale Treaty which could be signed in the autumn during the next session of the bilateral Italian-French summit. The treaty will be very broad and will establish principles of cooperation and convergence between the two countries, indicating a Road Map to be followed on a series of topics: industry, defense, audiovisual, art, education, civil service. The latter had already been indicated with a pilot project at the 2016 Venice summit (it was signed by Renzi and Hollande and the ministers Harlem Desir and Sandro Gozi) but at the time the competent French minister Patrick Canner did not make the necessary budget available. Now the project is taken up again in the new treaty, strengthening its structure in favor of young Italians and French.
Gozi: from Macron and Mattarella a message against sovereignists
Sandro Gozi, former undersecretary for European policies and today MEP of Renew Europe explains how relations between France and Italy have never been so good and “the state visit – a great tribute from Macron of France to Mattarella – sealed this important moment”. Climate that now “needs to be consolidated with initiatives and projects that make this new Italian-French relationship permanent”. But, according to Gozi “we must look at the broader political horizon opened by the two presidents also with respect to the nationalist forces in France, where Le Pen, although weakened, remains a protagonist of the 2022 presidential elections and in Italy, where Salvini oscillates between Draghi and Orban”. For Gozi, «the nationalist charter of values, or rather of negative values, is a communication operation to hide the contradictions and the difficulty in exceeding a certain threshold of consensus: it is difficult in fact to be a nationalist from Monday to Saturday and the European on Sunday: the voters notice it, and the pain begins ». The common message of Macron and Mattarella for a sovereign Europe in the opinion of the MEP Gozi elected in France “also becomes a political Manifesto addressed to all progressive, reforming and European forces, even more strategic at the moment of the conference on the future of Europe which must prepare some important EU reforms ».