Support to Kiev and Industry: the dossiers of Rome and Paris in the Meloni-Macron meeting

There Relation between Italy and France He rests on a treatise of the Quirinale signed on November 26, 2021 which still has large margins of application, to use an understatement, and on an economic interpenetration underlined two days ago by a director of the Elysée with these figures: 98 billion exchanges of goods in 2024, and 4000 companies between the two countries that work directly to 400 thousand people. This is the concrete economic basis, which encourages to enhance the points of agreement and to try to overcome the political differences, which are not lacking.

On the French side, but also Italian, also Italian, We tend to consider that the agreements are more firm and deep than the disagreementswhich concern more than anything else shades and method. Let’s start with the former, from the themes on which Italy and France have common positions.

The comparison on Ukraine and the United States

On Ukraine, both countries have always ensured full support for Ukraine, clearly attributing to Russia the role of attacker And to Ukraine that of attacked country, to be supported and helping. To change are the possible ways, as we will see, but there is no doubt that Paris and Rome stand on the side of Kiev. The first common goal is to accentuate the pressure on Russia. The second is to provide help and assistance to Ukraine. The third is to turn up the United States, disappointed by the total unavailability of Putin to the negotiation.

In the relationship with the United States there is a substantial identity of viewsalso because Donald Trump seems to have not continued in the temptation to build privileged relationships with individual European countries. American duties They are threatened against the whole European Union, there are no favorite countries or possible negotiations country by country.

If anything, the idea is Try to bring Washington back to the bed of the traditional alliance with Europeperhaps in view of the summit in Canada in mid -June. Meloni and Macron also spoke of the Middle East, on which there is one fundamental identity of views both on Gaza and on Lebanon and also Libyawhen in the past it was quarreled because France seemed to support General Haftar and Italy was closer to the Tripoli authorities. Both countries work on the stabilization of Libya, France perhaps with particular attention to the infiltration of Russiaand Italy more sensitive to migrants’ routes to be stopped.

The « model » melons on immigration

On the Fight against illegal immigration Italy and France seem to have the same goals And the same will to broaden the responsibilities to European partners, and for some time the rumors that once denounced the policies of Giorgia Meloni have not been heard in France. On the contrary, the Golista right which is an important part of the Bayrou government (with the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau) often invoke the Meloni method as a model.

Disagreements concern how to help Ukrainegiven that you want to do it. France together with the United Kingdom continues to Do not exclude the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine Once the fights have ceased, to guarantee peace. Italy does not totally exclude it if this happened in the UN field, but rather proposes to extend the application of article 5 of NATO to Ukraine, even without letting it enter the organization. France is not contrary in principle, but it thinks that Trump would never accept this solutionbecause it does not want Ukraine in NATO precisely in order not to put it under the protection of article 5 (which implies almost automatic military assistance in the event of an attack).

Common defense

On Gaza, if Italy and France They condemn the policy of Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Macron seems to want to hurry the times of a recognition of the Palestinian state On the part of France, as has already been done from Spain and Ireland, without waiting for a common European position. Then there is the question of European strategic autonomy, which presupposes a great collaboration in the defense – aspect that in fact exists, with a very intense common work between the Crosetto and Lecornu ministers – but also an inevitable pre -eminent role of France (the only nuclear power of the EU and available to extend its cleaning umbrella to other countries) which leaves Italy rather cold. Then there are issues of method and different personalities, for which leaders like this are organized.