For their first “real” meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will discuss the – complicated – bilateral relations of Europe and NATO.
French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Italian head of government Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday in Paris, the Elysée Palace announced on Monday, in a still turbulent context between the two countries. This meeting will make it possible to discuss “bilateral relations” and “the implementation of the Quirinal Treaty”, signed in 2021 and which structures the Franco-Italian relationship.
Giorgia Meloni travels to Paris to defend Rome’s candidacy for the 2030 World Expo, before the International Exhibitions Bureau. The Italian capital is in competition with Busan (South Korea), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Odessa (Ukraine). Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol are also present in France for the same reason.
First head-to-head since Giorgia Meloni came to power
Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni “will discuss European issues and take advantage of this meeting to prepare for the European Council, which will be held in Brussels on Thursday June 29 and Friday June 30”, according to the Elysée. “There will also be talk of the NATO summit, which will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday July 11 and Wednesday July 12. Their exchanges will be an opportunity to reaffirm their common support for Ukraine”, indicates the French presidency.
This is Giorgia Meloni’s first visit to France since his election in the fall of 2022. The two leaders met informally in Rome, just after his appointment, then in bilateral meetings on the sidelines of international events.
Darmanin’s spade went badly in Italy
Franco-Italian relations have gone through some turbulence, particularly around the thorny issue of immigration, since the ultra-conservative government led by Giorgia Meloni came to power. The reactions were particularly strong, in the Peninsula, after the remarks, on May 4, of the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, judging Giorgia Meloni “unable to resolve the migratory problems on which she was elected”.
Since then, the two capitals have been trying to ease tensions.
This article is originally published on lematin.ch
