President Meloni’s address to the Chamber of Deputies ahead of the European Council meeting on 19 December

Mr President, honourable colleagues,

the next European Council meeting will be the first of this new European legislative term and the first chaired by the new President, António Costa, who has told me and the other Heads of State and Government that he intends to make the Council’s work more streamlined and concrete, focusing more on strategic discussions and avoiding going into matters of detail, including in the conclusions, that can be dealt with more effectively at negotiating tables and Council working groups. I personally very much agree with this approach because, now more than ever, in the face of constantly new and increasingly complex challenges and given the real risk of marginalisation, if not downright irrelevance, that the European Union is facing in several areas, sectors and geopolitical blocks, we need to instead focus our attention on what Europe’s mission needs to be, starting with the core reasons for our unity.

This will also be the first European Council meeting since the new Commission took office, and this is precisely where I would like to start.  The last time I was here in this hall, we still had to go through the parliamentary process to confirm the College of Commissioners, appointed and led, for a second time, by Ursula von der Leyen. This was certainly not an easy process and nor was it free from political criticism, some of which bitter, but in the end I believe I can say, with pride: mission accomplished.  

An Italian has been appointed as Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, a politician of worth who is valued both in Italy and in Europe. An important portfolio has been entrusted to him, Raffaele Fitto, worth a total of approximately EUR 1,000 billion considering the cohesion policy funds in the 2021-2027 budget (around EUR 400 billion) in addition to those for the new programming period, which will in any case be defined by this Commission, and the NextGenerationEU resources (approximately EUR 600 billion), for which Fitto will share responsibility with Commissioner Dombrovskis. For us, the Executive Vice-Presidency that has been assigned to an Italian Commissioner is not just an honorary title, but is rather a concrete tool that will enable the Italian Commissioner to oversee and coordinate the European Union’s policies in strategic sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, transport, tourism, the marine economy and social housing; sectors in which an Italian point of view can undoubtedly contribute to bringing the debate back to a pragmatic approach, overcoming the ideological and dogmatic tendency Brussels has shown in too many areas over the last years. I believe everyone in this hall can acknowledge that the role assigned to Italy in the new Commission is fitting for our nation’s position in Europe: this result confirms Italy’s key role in the new European context and, in my view, also our Government’s ability to uphold Italy’s interests. However, this is also personal recognition for Raffaele Fitto and the excellent results he has achieved over the last two years as a Minister of the Italian Republic. The fact that Italy today ranks first in Europe in terms of the goals reached and the financial progress of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan is thanks above all to the excellent work he and his offices have done, in addition to the efforts of all Ministers and institutional levels of Italy as a whole. As you know, this difficult task has now been taken over by Hon. Tommaso Foti, a reliable and skilled individual whom this Chamber has come to know and to whom, on behalf of the entire Government, I renew my best wishes for his work.

In short, I would say that, despite there still being some who, paying no regard to reality, continue repeating the mantra that Italy is apparently isolated internationally, the facts appear to show the precise opposite. The Italian Government is increasingly seen by international observers as being a key player in numerous dynamics and this positive change should make any sincere Italian proud, regardless of their personal political beliefs. Likewise, Italy is playing more and more of a leading role in the new dialogue formats being created at European level to address the many strategic issues we are discussing in a pragmatic and concrete way: I am thinking of the meeting on migration, the first of which was held in the margins of the last European Council meeting at the Italian delegation’s headquarters in Brussels; this format is promoted by Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands and brings together several nations, also with the participation of the President of the European Commission, in order to review progress of the EU’s new migration policy and reason together about innovative solutions.

However, I am also referring to the North-South Summit on security, to be held in Finland in the coming days, hosted by Prime Minister Orpo. Italy has been invited to attend this summit together with the Prime Ministers of Greece and Sweden and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 

I am focusing on these aspects because I would like us all to try, together, to take our debate on Europe to the next level, with regard to the choices to be made and the role Italy must play. It is a fact that our extraordinary stability – extraordinary not only with respect to our Republic’s past but also with respect to the political turmoil being faced by various major European nations – represents a significant asset, which Italy can and must put to good use and which is in our national interest to highlight at every opportunity. Consolidating the idea of a stable Italy enables us to strengthen our cooperation with partners, attract greater foreign investment and work to bring home the too many Italian talents who have left and to whom we have to try, together, to provide a rewarding new dream back at home. 

It is of course primarily the governing majority’s duty to guarantee this stability, whom I would like to take this opportunity to thank for the compactness it is showing in the government’s day-to-day work and in parliamentary activities; the added value this stability brings, however, is undoubtedly also a valuable card to play within the European Council.

Thursday’s Council meeting will be preceded by an EU-Western Balkans summit on Wednesday. Thanks also to Italy, the accession of the Western Balkan nations is now a top priority for the European Union. We are talking about nations that are at the heart of our continent, that are historically European, hence why we are convinced that their entry into the European Union would finally mark the completion of Europe’s reunification. The time has come to concretely recognise the progress they have made and reward their efforts, continuing to also work with them for European stability and security.

The European Council will rightfully be almost exclusively discussing the major geopolitical crises that are affecting and disrupting our era, obviously starting with Ukraine. On 19 November, we commemorated a thousand days of heroic Ukrainian resistance against Russia’s war of aggression. At every international occasion, Italy has reiterated its support for Ukraine’s legitimate defence, independence and territorial sovereignty, principles that also inspired our work as G7 Presidency, during which we reached an agreement to make a line of credit worth USD 50 billion available to Kyiv; this loan will soon be disbursed and guaranteed by the extra profits on immobilised Russian assets in Europe. This involved extremely complex work that has led to an extremely important result. This was a success of the Italian G7 Presidency.

At this time, Russia’s systematic targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is of particular concern in view of winter. Guaranteeing the security of that infrastructure, and indeed of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, is a crucial goal for us. Italy is also continuing to support European initiatives for Ukraine both financially and politically, participating in the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM), in the civilian European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) and in providing military support, through the European Peace Facility.

An end to the war and the building of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter remain our objectives, because it is of vital interest to Italy and to Europe that a system of rules based on respect for international law is maintained. As I have already said in this hall many times, both as a member of the opposition and as the Head of Government, it is not in any way in our interest to live in a world based on the force of weapons and oppression. We want to continue making all efforts in this direction, involving also other global players in order to reach a just peace as quickly as possible. 

This is precisely why Italy will continue to do its part also with regard to strengthening sanctions, supporting companies that conduct their business in compliance with these sanctions. We supported the recent adoption of a fifteenth sanctions package, with the sixteenth already in the process of being defined. The meeting I will have with President Zelensky on the eve of the European Council, together with other European leaders and NATO Secretary General Rutte, will provide an opportunity to reiterate these principles and reaffirm the common line of action. This will also be an important opportunity to discuss the future of the conflict, maintaining close coordination on the next steps to be taken.

As always, looking to Ukraine’s future also means envisaging its reconstruction, which needs to be supported together with international financial institutions and the private sector. On 10 and 11 July 2025, Italy will be hosting a conference on reconstruction, an important event that the Government is already working on and for which I am counting on the support of all political parties and the whole of Italy’s economic system. Peace and reconstruction, however, are not just a priority in Ukraine; the Middle East also deserves a prospect of stabilisation regarding this enduring crisis it has descended into, which is further complicated by what we have seen happening in Syria, in the space of just a few days. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime is good news and is rightfully being celebrated by the Syrian population after more than a decade of civil war. The rebel forces that have emerged are heterogeneous and have different origins and interests that may clash.

There is obviously concern about the nation’s future. Italy, the only G7 nation to have an embassy open in Damascus, is ready to enter into dialogue with the new Syrian leadership, obviously in a context of assessments and actions shared with our European and international partners. Initial signs appear encouraging, but the utmost caution is required. Words must be backed up by actions, and we will be judging the new Syrian authorities by their actions. A crucial element will be their approach towards ethnic and religious minorities, and I am thinking of Christians in particular, who have already paid an extremely high price and have too often been subjected to persecution. As Pope Benedict XVI taught us – and allow me to take this opportunity to also wish a happy birthday to Pope Francis on behalf of the Government, and I think also on behalf of this hall – today, religious freedom is a fundamental human right, a universal and natural right that man-made law can never deny.

The fight against terrorism is another key aspect of this scenario; there can be no room for ISIS to return nor ambiguity towards groups that plan on making Syria a base for new terrorist cells. I intend to discuss this in Brussels with our European partners, also because I am convinced that the European Union has a key role to play in Syria, especially with regard to rebuilding a deeply devastated nation. Syrians will obviously have a leading role in the reconstruction, but they will need European and international support, particularly with Arab nations. There is an urgent need to not only reflect on this issue but also to identify the best courses of action. In the background, there is the long-standing issue of Syrian refugees. Over the last months, many refugees have returned to Syria, with these movements not being driven by a desire to return home but rather by the need to escape the fighting in Lebanon.  After the fall of Assad, we have seen more people returning. As you know, Italy has long been committed to supporting voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns and intends to keep working in this direction with its EU partners, with UN agencies, first and foremost the UNHCR which is at the forefront of this issue, and – I hope – with the new authorities in Damascus. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit and the announcement that a strategic agreement is soon to be finalised between the EU and Jordan also go in this direction, a direction that Italy has strongly advocated for. The situation in Syria clearly forms part of a broader and complex scenario in the Middle East. The ceasefire in Lebanon, to which the Italian Government has been constantly committed, is an important step forward.

As I confirmed to Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati also on Saturday, Italy will do its part to help monitor compliance with the agreement and ensure Lebanon has full sovereignty. We will do this above all by continuing our work to coordinate international support for the Lebanese armed forces through the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon which is being led, and not by chance, by an Italian general. We will also do this through our soldiers serving on the UNIFIL mission, whom this Government never wanted to withdraw precisely because it was aware that they would be crucial after the end of the hostilities. Allow me, in this hall, to send sincere and heartfelt thanks on behalf of the entire nation to the men and women of our armed forces in Lebanon who, as they always have done and do all over the world, have remained at their posts, with bravery and a sense of duty, serving the nation and peace.

Italy is therefore very strongly committed to Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty, but it is obvious that the European Union can and must contribute to a new equilibrium in the Land of the Cedars, and I am satisfied that the European Union, thanks also to Italy’s impetus, has in turn begun supporting the Lebanese armed forces with an initial contribution of EUR 15 million, approved in September. At the same time, we need to keep paying close attention to Gaza. We reiterate our strong call for an immediate ceasefire based on the release of the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas, which cannot wait any longer, and on the provision of adequate humanitarian aid to Gaza. Italy is at the forefront in supporting the Palestinian civilian population. We have allocated EUR 70 million to the crisis response and, with the ‘Food for Gaza’ initiative, we have organised two humanitarian flights carrying over 100 tonnes of aid. Our goal, however, is not just immediate assistance: our goal moving forward is to contribute to the stabilisation and reconstruction of the Strip in both material and social terms, and we must keep working for the resumption of a credible political process. A just and sustainable peace in the region can only be achieved through a two-state solution that ensures security and mutual recognition for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Last Friday, I met with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, whom I assured of Italy’s support for the process to reform what is Palestine’s only possible interlocutor, and to whom I reiterated our firm belief that it must be Europe to play the leading role in the drive towards a structural and permanent solution for the Israel-Palestine question. President Abbas, on his side, thanked Italy, considered by the Palestinian National Authority to be a friend, due to its balanced position and commitment at the forefront.

Also with regard to security, I would like to briefly mention that Italy is continuing to pay close attention to the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, thanks above all to our leading role in the Aspides naval mission. At the European Council, we will also be discussing the report by the former President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, on strengthening Europe’s civil and military preparedness with regard to emergency response. The report highlights the need to multiply efforts to ensure the European Union is better prepared in all areas of reference, in order to boost our ability to react and guarantee our safety in any scenario. Italy is more than interested in contributing to the political debate regarding the EU’s future role as a crisis manager and security provider, starting not so much from legislative proposals by the Commission, which at this stage would risk being premature, but rather from the need to maximise the combined effect of both national and European crisis management efforts, in line with the principle of subsidiarity. In particular, Italy is not willing to give up a national excellence like its Civil Protection service, but we can certainly share our experience and expertise with our partners.

There will then be an important strategic discussion on the macro topic of the European Union in the world. There is ever-closer interaction between the crises and wars around us, marking a band of instability stretching from the Arctic to the Sahel, and this demands a comprehensive understanding and greater efforts to revitalise the European Union’s global role, starting with renewed dialogue with all partners based on respect and not a paternalistic approach. And, of course, if Europe wants to be stronger and more autonomous, it must have a common commitment to strengthen its defence, finally building a European pillar of NATO alongside the North American one, with equal importance and dignity. Our commitment to the Atlantic Alliance remains the cornerstone of our security, but Europe must certainly aim to have a greater role therein.

However, to do this, it is vital to make rapid progress on the path towards open strategic autonomy and seek innovative solutions to ensure adequate funding for the necessary investments, for example by starting a concrete debate on the possibility to issue European bonds for investments in defence and by continuing to push for defence spending to be excluded from the calculation of the debt-to-GDP ratio under the Stability and Growth Pact. Also in this regard, it is essential to maintain a pragmatic, constructive and open approach with the new Trump administration, making the most of areas of potential fruitful cooperation between the EU and the US and striving to prevent trade disputes that would certainly not do anyone any good. Speaking of international trade, I also want to provide some food for thought on an issue that has been the subject of intense debate over the last few days, even though it won’t be on the agenda at the European Council meeting: the matter of the EU-Mercosur agreement.

Italy agrees with the geopolitical priority of going back to investing in a strong European presence in Latin America, a continent whose culture is very similar to our own and that we risk abandoning to political and economic penetration by non-western global players. This prospect is already happening, weakening Europe and the West in a global context in which regional crises and the strong push from the Global South and BRICS Plus are making us reassess the order of a world that is no longer just multi-polar but deeply fragmented. The issue today is therefore not about the geopolitical opportunity of moving towards a new era of political and trade cooperation agreements with third countries, but rather the sustainability of the impact of such agreements in certain sectors, such as agriculture, which have often paid the highest price when the European market has opened up to third country products, as said countries do not respect the same environmental and food safety standards that we impose on our producers.

The EU-Mercosur agreement must therefore also offer concrete guarantees and growth opportunities to the European agricultural sector, whose profitability and competitiveness have been undermined in recent years by a destructive ideological deviation. Over the years, we have fought to ensure farmers are no longer treated like enemies of the environment, but for what they are: nature’s primary caretakers. We have also fought to overcome environmental sustainability being pitted against competitiveness, which is something said ideological deviation had imposed. There have been some important signals in this regard, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and we therefore cannot ignore the concerns of our agricultural sector.

Effective safeguards need to be implemented, including an adequate compensation system for supply chains that may suffer damages. We are carefully studying the preliminary agreement reached by the European Commission in Montevideo last week and we will stand firmly behind our positions, taking the time to assess whether our demands will be met. Without this essential rebalancing, Italy will not give its support, because we are convinced that the EU-Mercosur agreement must benefit everyone, and not just some. In the meantime, we will continue fighting hard and consistently to ensure European agriculture is strong and competitive. European food sovereignty remains a strategic resource that Europe cannot and must not give up. The issue of relations with Africa also remains key: this is a real priority on Italy’s international agenda, as shown by the central role we gave to this during our G7 Presidency that is about to come to a close. 

On this point, allow me to once again express my satisfaction with the high-potential initiatives that were launched at G7 level under our Presidency: the Apulia Food Systems Initiative for agricultural production, the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative for the development of green energy, the Adaptation Accelerator Hub for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. However, I am above all satisfied with the sharing of Italy’s commitment to building a new cooperation and development model, based on an equal footing, not just with Africa but with the entire Global South. I believe this is one of the most important legacies of the Italian Presidency, which will formally end in a few days’ time. It has been an important year and, as our G7 Presidency comes to a close, I would like to thank, also here in this hall, all those who have worked with dedication for Italy’s success, a success that has also been publicly acknowledged by all our allies, by all the nations that attended the Leaders’ Summit and the 23 ministerial meetings. For this, I also wish to thank all the Ministers and, in particular, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.

Our Mattei Plan, which is already at an advanced stage of implementation, continues to attract the interest of our partners. This is not a plan of this Government, but rather an initiative of national interest and, in my view, of European interest. This is also why we are working to Europeanise and internationalise this initiative more and more, by strengthening the synergy with the European Union’s Global Gateway on the one hand, and with the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, launched at G7 level, on the other.

A new partnership between the European Union and African nations is crucial in order to tackle common global challenges. As always, these of course also include migration management, which is all the more important today with the new crisis in Syria, which risks generating new flows. For us, the fight against human trafficking remains key. We welcomed the new European directive regarding human trafficking, which broadens the scope of the offence, including therein also the exploitation of surrogacy. On the other side, we are involved in the negotiations for a new anti-migrant trafficking directive, in order to strengthen Europe’s regulatory framework on this matter. The work carried out so far to boost the EU’s collaboration with a number of nations of origin and of transit – I am referring to Tunisia, but not only – has helped reduce irregular flows along the central Mediterranean route by 60% compared with 2023. Continuing in this direction is the only way to curb irregular arrivals, reduce tragedies in the Mediterranean, make the EU’s external borders more secure and address the root causes of migration.

Italy played a decisive role in initiating the ongoing debate at EU level on looking for innovative solutions to the migration phenomenon, especially with regard to the returns policy. We believe that a revision of the returns directive can no longer be postponed and that the Commission urgently needs to speed up its review of the ‘safe third country’ concept. We likewise consider it important to bring forward as much as possible the provisions of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum regarding the definition of a safe country of origin, also in order to definitively clarify an issue that has recently been the subject of judicial decisions with ideological undertones which, should their core philosophy be endorsed by the EU Court of Justice, would risk jeopardising the return policies of all Member States, at least until the new EU rules on asylum procedures come into force in 2026: this is a concerning and unacceptable prospect, and must be resolutely prevented.

We will likewise continue to work with the 15 Member States that signed the letter asking the Commission to find innovative solutions in order to combat illegal immigration, as well as with the other four that in the meantime have asked to participate in the technical working groups that were created following said initiative. These innovative solutions of course also include the protocol between Italy and Albania. In this regard, also in this hall, I want to reiterate that we intend to move forward with the implementation of this protocol, in full compliance with Italian law and European regulations.

Lastly, at the next European Council, we will not be discussing strictly economic issues, but the matter of competitiveness will obviously remain key. Allow me to also address this point. Following up on the reports by Letta and Draghi, the Hungarian rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an informal European Council meeting last month which led to the Budapest Declaration. This is an ambitious document that establishes a new pact for European competitiveness and sets shared goals in order to bridge the gap that Europe has accumulated with its global competitors in terms of productivity and innovation. 

Regarding competitiveness, I would like to take this opportunity to provide an important update on the work the Government is doing on a very significant issue that is also sparking debate here in Italy: I am referring in particular to the crisis in the automotive industry. As we all know, this is a crucial sector for the future and for the competitiveness of European industry. Yet the situation we are facing today is far from positive. There are several underlying causes of the sector’s difficulties, one of which is certainly the fact that a decarbonisation model has been imposed that is based solely on electric vehicles which, if it were to be confirmed, would risk bringing the whole of Europe’s automotive industry to collapse. This is why, as Italy, together with the Czech Republic and with the support of other European partners, we have promoted an important initiative aimed at proposing an alternative strategy. The aim of this initiative of ours, set out in a non-paper for a new European automotive policy promoted by Minister Urso, is to provide ideas and suggestions for urgent action at European level and to avert irreversible consequences. 

We are calling for an immediate suspension of the fines against manufacturers, which are already leading to important factories being closed in order for said penalties to be avoided. Over the medium term, however, we are setting ourselves the more ambitious goal of reopening the matter of technological neutrality, making it possible to use all mature technologies that can help reduce polluting emissions. We welcome the emerging openness that we have heard from the EU commissioner for industry Séjourné over the last few days, as well as from important political groups in the European Parliament. We hope further, significant progress can be made to correct this wrong course, which is causing immense difficulties.

In closing, colleagues, the next European Council meeting will also be celebrating a very important symbolic anniversary: in fact, 50 years have passed since the first ever European Council. It was back in 1974 that the Heads of State and Government of the then European Community decided during the Paris Summit that they would formalise the practice of meeting regularly in order to discuss shared priorities and jointly outline the Union’s political direction. 

Since then, the world has changed profoundly, Europe has changed profoundly, Italy has changed profoundly. What cannot and must not change, however, is the need for Europe to be aware of its role in history. The continent has not always shown that it is able to cultivate that awareness, clouded, as it has been at times, by harmful ideological approaches and too many rules being imposed, perhaps for the very reason of making up for a weak vision and strategy. After all, if we were to go back to 1974, we would find a very different idea of Europe to the one we have often seen implemented. Aldo Moro, who was representing Italy at that meeting, said that Europe is the place where nations become bigger, without losing their soul. It is a common home for differences. I agree with this view, much more than I agree with some of the views I have heard more recently. And so, perhaps, in order to move forward we must above all go back to the origins of the project, and I believe this European legislative term provides us with a historic chance to do so, because, as is always the case, crises also conceal opportunities.

It is up to us to be able to seize those opportunities and Italy, of course, intends to play its part to the full.

Thank you.