Three months after the emergency summit held on 27 June following the result of the UK referendum which ratified Brexit, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are meeting again to try to find concrete answers to the economic fragility of the European Union and to the security emergency which, between immigration, reception and terrorism, represents a complex challenge for all EU Member States.
The three European leaders, who arrived in the afternoon at the Neapolitan airport of Capodichino, boarded a helicopter with destination Ventotene, an island that has always been considered one of the symbols of Europeanism because they are confined while still alive and then the grave of one of the fathers of that thought , Altiero Spinelli, one of the authors of the famous "Manifesto for Europe".
After paying homage to the body of the Italian politician and writer, protected by imposing security measures, Renzi Merkel and Hollande stopped at the Garibaldi aircraft carrier, where the stage for the press conference was set up.
RENZI
The Italian Premier emphasized the symbolic value of the place chosen for the summit: “Behind us the island of Ventotene, to the right the island of Santo Stefano, symbolic places of Europe's greatness. This is Europe too. Ventotene, where in 1941 Spinelli imagined the manifesto for Europe. Thanks to Merkel and Hollande for being here, our meeting is coming soon. It will not be the only one, there will be others, among all the informal summit in Bratislava on 16 September”.
Matteo Renzi himself listed the topics of the meeting: “Many thought that after Brexit, Europe was over – stated the Prime Minister – It is not so. We respect the choice of British citizens, but we want to write a new page for the future. We will also talk about economic issues, there is a need for strong measures, quality investments accompanied by structural reforms. Investing in manufacturing 4.0, renewable energies. Beware of young people. Strong measures are needed to revive growth and fight youth unemployment. In the prison on the island of Santo Stefano, where Sandro Pertini and Umberto Terracini were in prison, a university campus will be created for young Europeans. An ideal large investment. We will talk about international politics and migration”.
The Premier also wanted to provide official data: in 2016, 102 migrants arrived in Italy compared to 105 landed last year. “We have to do something like the EU to block departures”.
HOLLANDE
The French President also underlined the high value of Spinelli's work, the forerunner of an idea of Europe which today more than ever must protect itself by respecting in parallel the fundamental values on which it is based. Defense yes, but also hospitality: "Thanks to men like Altiero Spinelli this idea was born, the ability to guarantee peace between peoples - Hollande underlined - Spinelli also launched an idea of common defense, which today takes on an essential role . Europe must guarantee its own defense better, and it must also be concrete. We need to better protect Europe's borders and share intelligence information more. We also want more coordination, more means and more resources in the defense sector. It is up to Europe to protect itself, but – continues the head of the Elysée – also to welcome those who are driven into exile, often putting their lives at risk. On behalf of the whole European Union, I want to thank the crew of the Garibaldi ship engaged in the "Sophia" operation, for border control but also in humanitarian service in the Mediterranean. France, Italy and Germany - concluded the Transalpine President - intend to work towards the creation of a "European Union coast guard".
MERKEL
After Hollande, the word passes to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel who focuses above all on the issue of immigration: “Today we must guarantee a secure Europe and live according to our principles. We need to do more for internal and external security." To do this, it will be necessary “to improve exchanges between the intelligence services, all the collection of information on the territory must be improved. Faced with such great challenges, with the many refugees arriving, we must improve the border protection mechanism".
"Germany has changed its position on the management of migrants - added the German leader - For many years we have been against the Europeanisation of this issue, but now we want more European cooperation". “The Coast Guard alone cannot control maritime borders, we still have a lot to do. Cooperation with Turkey on migrants is right, otherwise we cannot win the fight with smugglers,” said Angela Merkel.
POPULISM
From the Garibaldi aircraft carrier, the Italian Prime Minister also responds to those who pontificate on Italy's choices regarding immigration, referring directly to the many populists who often provide statements duly contradicted by the numbers: Last year Merkel welcomed one million one hundred thousand people, eight times more than Italy. But the Italians say we have a problem with Europe. We do not realize what France has suffered on terrorism and security. But the problem concerns the whole of Europe. In other words, Europe can be the solution. For populists it is always Europe's fault but it is not like that. From here we say that Europe is the greatest opportunity for the new generations and let us not be discouraged by Brexit. For European ideals it is an element of civilization to save those who are at sea, but we must take charge of the situation in Africa, in Syria. We will continue to work in the Mediterranean, but the time has come for us all to make a more far-reaching effort together".
