Borgo Egnazia, in the luxury resort awaiting the G7: villas, swimming pools and 007. «Whoever reveals something is out»

She is in her apartment. No, now she’s by the pool. Then one of the escorts arrives and says he saw her on her cell phone, that she was laughing. Details: there is a blue sky, the sun is shining, there are cicadas singing among magnificent centuries-old olive trees (the resort is so exclusive that Xylella didn’t feel like entering).
Full of haughtiness, they compete to bring her coffee. «I’ll go to the queen…». Prime Minister Meloni has become Queen Giorgia. Crowned by almost two million and 500 thousand preferences and by waiters who, in a whisper, leave the bar joking with respect, within a biting political irony and perhaps more effective than many editorials.

The story of this G7 could start from here. With some notes stolen at the entrance of Borgo Egnazia, in the small bedlam of Sherpas and secret agents, wine suppliers and photographers. Only you have to get out of the way immediately because a Chinook helicopter is landing down there. Deafening noise, clouds of reddish dust. A dozen armed men jump out. «They are the raiders of our Navy», explains a Carabinieri officer, holding his hat with his hand. We see them walk into the fields and disappear behind a farmhouse.

So, let’s continue: Giorgia Meloni is the current president of the G7 and all the greats, after tomorrow evening’s dinner at the Svevo castle in Brindisi, where they will be welcomed by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, accompanied by his daughter Laura, they will come to this quite surreal place that most of you can only try to imagine (a room, in summer, costs up to 4,500 euros per night, even if the minibar is free).

Sixteen hectares between Fasano and Savelletri, the luxury Salentoa fake village to reproduce the Puglia of the districts suspended between the countryside and the sea, opened in 2010 after five years of work to build two-story stone houses with soft lighting and jacuzzi pools in the bathroomsa small square for parties and stalls distributing typical products, the joy of Dom Perignon corks popping and a true jet set clientelebefore the war they were regular guests include many Russian oligarchs, now filthy rich Indians and Madonna and David Beckhamall sure of being surrounded by the proverbial confidentiality of the staff, seven hundred employees who know what they risk: “If anyone tells a detail, I’ll fire him”, is the solemn threat of Marisa Melpignanoformer teacher and widow of Sergio, tax lawyer and entrepreneur, involved in Tangentopoli, with arrest and plea bargain, before coming to invest here, where he was born.

It is a place destined to go down in history. The participation in this forum is truly exceptional. In addition to the seven leaders who are part of it — Giorgia Meloni, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Fumio Kishida and Justin Trudeau — the presence of Pope francesco and numerous other heads of state and political figures. From the Turkish president Erdogan to the controversial member of the Saudi royal family Bin Salmanthere will be the Indian Modi and the Brazilian Lulaplus government representatives from Algeria, Kenya, Mauritania (which has the rotating presidency of the African Union), South Africa and Argentina (in the last few hours, it seemed inclined to come personally Javier Milei).

The bilateral meeting between the Holy Father, who will take part in the first day of work and will be the main speaker on the topic of “Artificial intelligence and the future”, and the President of the United States, Biden, was confirmed by the Vatican in recent days and will only be one of the many face-to-face meetings that the Pontiff will hold. The topic of the war in Ukraine will certainly always remain central (the first day’s program also includes a speech by Ukrainian President Zelensky). The other working sessions are extremely ambitious: Africa-climate-development, Middle East, Migration, Indo-Pacific and economic security and, finally, the outreach segment on Africa, the Mediterranean and energy.

The entire organization of the summit was handled by Elisabetta Belloni, former general secretary at the Farnesina and today head of the Dis, the department which, under the presidency of the Council, is responsible for coordinating the secret services. Of course, Belloni could not have foreseen the outcome of the European Championships: the close encounters (euphemism) that Meloni will have with Macron and Scholz will therefore be truly unscheduled. Our prime ministerafter the recent statement, it is determined to make its strength count even against the leaders of France and Germany, which instead came out rather bruised. A strong government “strengthens Italy in all international settings”: including the European Council table. Where the founder of Fratelli d’Italia is intent on playing her game to the end for top positions.

«Italy – Meloni has already said – can be an anchor in chaos and uncertainty». Okay, Prime Minister: but would you prefer a confirmation from Ursula von der Leyen or, rather, would you imagine Mario Draghi instead? Since we travel, as always, between high and low, the other question that circulates is: who will cook for these powerful people? The chefs called are Massimo Bottura, who will take care of the two dinners inside the resort, and Vincenzo Elia, who will take care of the gala dinner (we will make a good impression).

Impressive news. To get to the center of the world you travel along a narrow road between dry stone walls and deserted land: farmers were in fact banned from using tractors or other heavy vehicles. From the provincial road, as clean as if it were not even in the center of Zurich, count yourself sixteen checkpoints. I am 1,500 soldiers engaged in controlling this part of Puglia, 5 thousand agents, carabinieri and financiers: they had lodged them on a rented cruise ship; but then blocked toilets, infected towels, air conditioning out of order, they transferred them to some hotels on the coast.

No black bloc sightings (only two German cyclists stopped at the gates of Savelletri: drenched in sweat, with slightly long hair and many tattoos. But getting a tattoo is not yet a crime).

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