Italy e France they clash on the case of the migrants left for a long time in the port of Catania without being able to land. And the now very high tension rises between the two countries which - under the leadership of Mario Draghi in Rome and Emmanuel Macron in Paris - had instead rediscovered a privileged understanding, extremely important in the balance of relations within the EU, above all after the cooling of relations between France and Germany.
The spark that acted as the detonator was the question of the landings in Catania - first blocked and then laboriously allowed after the opinion of the doctors - and, above all, the announcement made ahead of time, not agreed and presented as a victory, on the availability French to welcome the Ocean Vicking with 231 migrants on board a Toulon. Not only a diplomatic but also a political gamble that inevitably put the French government in difficulty, pressed internally by Marine Le Pen's Right wing who accuses it of being broad-shouldered towards the entry of immigrants into France, far more numerous - according to Eurostat data – of those arriving in Italy.
Italy-France at high voltage: the harsh reaction of Paris on migrants
The diplomatic and political short circuit has brought Italy-France relations to a tension never seen in recent years. France has granted the landing of Ocean Viking "as an exception" — specified the Interior Minister Gerald Darmann - and in the face of the "unacceptable" refusals of the Meloni government to welcome the NGO ship, with 231 migrants still on board (3, the most serious, evacuated to Bastia). "Italy has been inhuman - commented Minister Darmanin -. It stands outside its European solidarity and its own commitments. And there will be extremely strong consequences on bilateral and European relations". Which? The suspension by Paris of participation in the voluntary European Solidarity Mechanism, according to which France was supposed to welcome 3.500 refugees arriving in Italy by the summer. Not only that: Darmanin also invited "all the other participants" to the European agreement of 10 June in Luxembourg, in particular Germany, to do the same. What's more, France intends now to divert 500 agents at the Ventimiglia border, tightening checks at the entrance.
In addition to the underlying political question, as was said, it is also a question of personal relationships that has blown up relations between Rome and Paris. According to the version of Emmanuel Macron's entourage at the Elysée, in fact, "Giorgia Meloni behaved badly", triggering a "serious crisis". Why? Because the Italian premier has heralded it as an Italian success, complete with official note of Palazzo Chigi on November 8, the French availability on the reception of the ship in Toulon before the French government gave official confirmation. An availability that, on the other hand, would have been offered informally by Macron in Cairo on the occasion of Cop27 in bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In short, a tangle that will not be easy to untangle now: the balanced intervention of President Sergio Mattarella will probably be needed to mend such a deep rift.
Italy-France: the response of the Meloni government
Italy replied with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. “France's reaction to the request to welcome 234 migrants – he said – is incomprehensible. Up to now Italy has tackled the problem on its own», explained the minister who will give an urgent briefing to the Chamber on Wednesday. "Europe must do its part", echoed the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani. “I think there was a disproportionate reaction from France. We respect the pacts». Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini tweeted: "European solidarity ... In Italy there have been almost 90 thousand landings since the beginning of the year and of these, France has accepted only 38, Europe 117. It should be Italy that protests". But the numbers are not those cited by Salvini and must be seen in a broader case study in which Italy appears rather as a country of transit to Europe and not as a destination for migrants. The fact remains that the Italian government comes out badly and Italy's position in Europe is very bad. At this point della Repubblica seems to be the only one able to find a solution.
