Bari, 14 June. (Adnkronos) – It is the day of the bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, yet the world’s spotlight on Borgo Egnazia is all focused on him: Pope Francis marks the debut of a pontiff at the G7. Apart from the agreement on the solidarity fund of 50 billion dollars guaranteed by the profits from Russian assets, it is Bergoglio’s presence that makes the difference in this Italian-led G7. Giorgia Meloni is aware of this, achieving an unprecedented result. A result which, alone, is capable of disposing of the ‘waste’ of the dispute with President Emmanuel Macron, a dispute involving fiery declarations which ended up ‘cannibalising’ the attention of the media and public opinion in the first work day.
Today we turn the page with the arrival of the pontiff, headed to the small Apulian village aboard a helicopter. The Prime Minister reaches the steps of the aircraft against the wind, “still alive”, he jokes, “there are two of us”, Meloni replies promptly after having investigated the state of health of the Holy Father. Together they get into the small golf car that will take them to the other leaders, Bergoglio struggles, also because of his bad knee, but with Meloni they make her laugh: she jokes with amusement, “a good laugh”, observes Francesco, “ok but me and she always..”, replies the Prime Minister, who in these 18 months has managed to build a solid relationship with the pontiff, met several times even away from the spotlight.
When they enter the room where the panel on Artificial Intelligence takes place, the enthusiasm of the leaders – not only the 7, but also the so-called ‘outreach’ to whom Meloni has decided to open the summit – is uncontainable: a long applause accompanies the pontiff, who reaches his post in a wheelchair, Meloni behind him. All the leaders approach to greet him, with a confidence that distinguishes a pontificate judged by all to be outside the box: Biden leans over him and whispers something in his ear, the Argentine Javier Milei, Bergoglio’s compatriot, embraces him with emotion, even the Brazilian Luis Inácio Lula de Silva and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugged him emotionally. “It is the first time that a pontiff participates in a G7 meeting – the prime minister opens the session – so inevitably it is a truly historic moment. I will never thank her enough for being here with us”, she says, leaving the floor to Francis.
Bergoglio’s speech does not hide the doubts and fears linked to the advent of artificial intelligence, he calls for “good politics”, the need for AI to have an “ethical inspiration”. To reduce the risks intrinsic to the challenge, it is up to politics to “create the conditions” for a use that is “possible and fruitful”, because “in the face of so many petty forms of politics aimed at immediate interest, political greatness shows itself when, in difficult times, we operate on the basis of great principles and thinking about the long-term common good. The political power finds it very difficult to accommodate this duty in a national project and even more so in a common project for present and future humanity. “.
His words are “a source of inspiration for all of us”, Meloni thanks him. Which, shortly after the pontiff’s arrival, was forced to deny a piece of news released by Bloomberg which risks generating a ‘remake’ of the abortion mess: a step backwards on LGBTQ rights in the draft conclusions that the American agency binds in the presence of Pope Francis in Borgo Egnazia. The denial from Palazzo Chigi is clear: news without any foundation, thunders the Prime Minister.
In the final document adopted by the leaders, 36 pages in all, the “strong concern” for the reduction of LGBT rights is reiterated, with a firm condemnation of “all violations and abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms”, and confirmed the commitment of the Majors “to promote and protect” the rights of the ‘rainbow’ community. As for the other ‘hot’ dossier on the rights front, in the final declarations the word ‘abortion’ is not mentioned, but all the commitments made by the leaders in Hiroshima are confirmed. Then there is an ad hoc chapter that Meloni will be able to show off as the flagship of the G7 made in Italy: the paragraph on migrants, in which the 7 undertake to launch “a coalition to prevent and combat migrant trafficking”.
Using a “‘follow the money’ approach – the big 7 put pen to paper, recalling a strategy developed by Giovanni Falcone against the mafia and dear to Meloni – to identify, investigate and effectively combat organized crime, addressing the financial aspects , including greater cooperation on asset confiscation”. The document also includes the Mattei Plan desired by the Italian government, welcomed by the leaders.
At the work table, Meloni asked that the G7 act as spokesperson at an international level for a new strategy, which adopts new weapons to combat trafficking that has made the Mediterranean an open-air cemetery. Recalling, among the possible tools, also the Rome-Tirana memorandum, which saw our country open two hotspots on Albanian soil, with all the controversies involved.
At the end of the proceedings, the family photo extended to all the leaders who arrived in Borgo Egnazia, with the smiling Pope in the front row for a shot destined to go down in history. Meloni is aware of this, posing with a satisfied look as the second day of the summit draws to a close. (by Ileana Sciarra)
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