Brussels, 18 June. (askanews) – “Italy must see its role recognised”. Giorgia Meloni reiterated this during the European leaders’ dinner, which ended this evening in Brussels without having reached an agreement on top jobs. An informal meeting which began more than two hours late, due to meetings between the mediators of the majority parties: Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte for the Liberals; Donald Tusk and Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the EPP; Olaf Scholz and Pedro Sanchez for the PSE. A ‘slippage’ which has created some irritation among the heads of state and government – including Italy – outside of the three majority parties, who in their speeches have not failed to underline the problem of a “method” which effectively excludes some countries from the decision-making process. The meeting first saw the intervention of the ‘guest’ Roberta Metsola, then that of Ursula von der Leyen, the outgoing president of the Commission who the EPP has proposed for reconfirmation.
You took stock of 5 years of activity and outlined some proposals for the coming years. She then left the room, giving the Council members the opportunity to speak freely. Almost all the leaders spoke, expressing their opinion on the route. Viktor Orban, who met the Italian Prime Minister this morning, was very harsh. “The will of the European people has been ignored”, according to the Hungarian prime minister who invites the right to unite “against the bureaucrats”. For his part, according to diplomatic sources, Meloni highlighted problems of “method and merit”. In particular, according to her, it would not be a correct procedure to present a ready-made package of names, without first having carried out a collegial and overall discussion on the idea of the Union for the next few years. A line on which you have found the support of some ‘colleagues’. The Prime Minister also reiterated that Italy asks to be “recognized as having the right weight”, as a founding country, the second largest manufacturing company in Europe, and the third largest state in terms of inhabitants. The Prime Minister did not go into detail, but the request had already been made today by herself in a meeting with Prime Minister Charles Michel and by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani with his party partner Ursula von der Leyen: Rome wants a vice-presidency and a commissioner with important delegations, yet to be discussed. The difference in views between the EPP and the Socialists on the Prime Minister also makes the stalemate more complex. The PSE supports Antonio Costa, former Portuguese prime minister, who, however, the Popular Party shows doubts about, asking to entrust him with a mandate of only 2 and a half years. A request that the Socialists do not intend to accept. In this deadlock situation it was deemed best to close the session. We will talk about it again in 10 days, at the formal Council on the 27th and 28th.
