If several members of the government sought to smooth things over with Italy the day after the outbreak of a diplomatic crisis between Paris and Rome, they denounced the discourse of the far right on immigration.
Calm tensions with the neighbor, while knocking on the National Rally. This is the exercise in which several ministers engaged, after Gérald Darmanin triggered a diplomatic crisis with Italy by considering RMC this Thursday that its far-right Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, is “unable to solve the migratory problems”. In the aftermath, the head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani canceled his first visit to Paris, scheduled for the same evening.
“There is no desire to ostracize Italy in any way whatsoever”, sought to demine Olivier Véran on CNews this Friday, evoking a “relationship of brotherhood” with this country which “is our second economic partner”.
“This incident will be quickly forgotten”
A speech of appeasement in line with that of Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. After the controversy, the latter had tried to smooth things over, emphasizing a “mutual respect” between Italy and France, while indicating her wish to “be able to welcome soon” her counterpart.
The executive now wants to look forward. “This incident will be forgotten very quickly”, want to believe several members of the government like Gabriel Attal or Éric Dupond-Moretti. Both highlight the need for a common response to “the migration issue”.
“France needs Italy too much and Italy needs France too much on all subjects, and particularly on the question of immigration”, advanced the first at the microphone of BFMTV-RMC.
Noting that “there have been many more arrivals at the gates of Italy” since the start of 2023 than “in previous years”, Gabriel Attal sees it as a “major issue that must be resolved at European level”.
“France will not settle (it) without Italy, Italy will not settle (it) without France”, said the Minister Delegate for Public Accounts to better reaffirm his call for unity.
“Solutions miracles”
In hollow, the executive also defends a response addressed to the far right, after a tackle from Jordan Bardella. The president of the National Rally (RN) ruled on Wednesday that the government “pulverized all immigration records”, during a trip to Manton, near the Italian border.
Before mentioning the Italian Prime Minister, Gérald Darmanin had been questioned about these remarks. “Naturally as Mr. Bardella has for Mrs. Meloni the eyes of Chimene, well Gérald Darmanin tells him a certain number of things”, justified Éric Dupond-Moretti on BFMTV.
The host of Place Beauvau “meant to say that a number of politicians, especially on the far right, are advancing miracle solutions, magic wands that would solve all the problems in a few months”, according to Gabriel Attal. “In reality we see that it is much more complicated than that”.
If “we are a daily partner of Italy (…) we must remember what the position of the far right in Europe is on the subject of migration: not working together, not solving problems”, declared in this sense the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune on Europe 1.
