BRUSSELS. NATO is more than a military alliance. It is an alliance of values that must work to preserve and defend them, from inside as well as outside. Mario Draghi is as diplomatic as he should and as determined as he needs, in criticizing real enemies and alleged friends. The Prime Minister calls on the leaders of NATO member states to “be ready to face all those who do not share our same values and our attachment to the rules-based international order and are a threat to our democracies”.
The Atlantic Alliance must therefore fight for the defense of democracy and fundamental rights, this is the message of Draghi contained in the intervention in plenary session. Words that can be read in an anti-Chinese and anti-Russian sense. The two countries are considered as the main destinations of origin of the latest generation of hackers. It is not clear how much Draghi’s words were reported to the Turkish leader, Recepp Tayip Erdogan, whom Draghi also was able to define as a “dictator” in early April, after the incident of the missing chair during the official visit to Ankara by the Presidents of the European Commission and Council.
Turkey is a NATO member, of which it represents the second contingent. It is possible that Draghi wanted to draw attention to the attitudes of the partner country, who must have ears to understand intends. But there is the impression that Turkey, like Russia and China, is an interlocutor to work with and on when Draghi changes the subject. As an Alliance, he says, “we should look at all strategic directions from the Indo-Pacific region to a constant focus on the instability of the Mediterranean region.”
Instability of the Mediterranean region means many things. It means Libya, where the presence and maneuvers of Ankara and Moscow have increased. It means Middle East, and it means Cyprus and Greece. Here, the European Union has long been having a tug of war with Turkey over trespassing operations in Greek waters, and mining operations in disputed waters of the island of Cyprus.
The impression is that Draghi wanted to whip the NATO member states. “Security is a necessary prerequisite to preserve and strengthen our democracies and our economic and social systems.” There is a need for NATO, and the commitment must be complete, at three hundred and sixty degrees. In this, Italy and the European Union are ready to make a contribution.
On the one hand, recalls the tenant of Palazzo Chigi, Italy “undertakes to continue contributing” to the deterrence and defense position of the Alliance and to NATO operations and missions, and to contribute to our national defense expenses. , “As it always has.” Another example of Draghi’s Euro-Atlantic commitment, should it ever be needed.
On the other hand, “we are building a stronger EU also in the field of security and defense, in the firm conviction of a positive contribution, based on complementarity”, and of the equation that a stronger European Union also yields more fruit. the born. ‘I would like to stress to all our non-EU allies that this is what we unequivocally mean by’ strategic autonomy of the EU ‘.’ A message this time, yes, addressed to Erdogan.