The ‘no’ from Poland and Hungary causes the conclusions on migration to be withdrawn from the European Council. Even the mediation entrusted to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, from the same conservative family as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and also close to Magyar Prime Minister Viktor Orban, did not go through. Already yesterday evening the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, seeing the impasse on the chapter, had asked the premier to try to persuade the two, this morning a trilateral agreement in the headquarters of the Italian representation in Palazzo Europa, but the attempt did not go to successful and Meloni returned to the leaders – who would also have asked for a second exploration – saying that the conclusions would not pass. Hence the stratagem of proceeding with the conclusions of the President of the European Council Michel expressing the two chapters on migration, indeed strengthened compared to the draft. These “personal” conclusions contain the entire message on the external dimension of migration, defined as a “European challenge that requires a European response”, with a focus on the fight against the business of traffickers, the management of external borders and partnerships. Poland’s opposition is not so much on this aspect – indeed just yesterday Morawiecki had proposed an EU plan to strengthen the external borders – as on the Migration and Asylum Pact, on which the EU Council adopted its negotiating position on 8 June, with the consent of Italy, and in particular in the part relating to the obligation of solidarity between the Member States. Warsaw argues that that act could not be approved by qualified majority because the conclusions of the European Council of December 2016, June 2018 and June 2019 – at leader level therefore – indicated that all decisions on immigration should be taken by consensus i.e. without anyone’s opposition. The EU Treaties, on the other hand, do not provide for unanimity on the subject of migration. Hungary, on the other hand, did not want mandatory relocations to be imposed by the EU, the same battle that Budapest waged in the Syrian crisis of 2015-16.
The tenant of Palazzo Chigi believes that “Italy’s role has been the protagonist” and “those who have followed the European Council can confirm this”. Meloni also underlined that for the first time “the dimension of demography is finally mentioned in a document of the European Council”. No criticism of the two sovereign allies. “I am not disappointed by the attitude of Poland and Hungary, I am never disappointed by those who defend their national interests”, she underlines. “As long as we look for solutions on how to manage migrants when they arrive on European territory, we will never find unanimity – she explains. The only way is to work on the external dimension”. Even the Polish premier affirms that there is no contradiction with his “good friend Georgia”. The government in Rome made its decisions on migration “in the interest of Italy” and “therefore we agreed not to agree on this very narrow aspect of European policy”, but “we agree on everything else “. Meloni reiterates that there is “an excellent relationship” with Poland and Hungary and that he attempted mediation right up to the last minute. “It is a job that must continue to be done”, adds the premier, recalling her visit to Warsaw next Wednesday. “We have made significant progress on migration since February. Michel recalls that, even if there was not unanimity, the debate “showed great convergence” and that “the European Council remains fully committed to this issue and will return to it periodically”.
As for the other issues addressed in Brussels, the premier reports that the ratification of the Mes “is a topic that is not asked of me and therefore it probably means that there is not the same attention that we devote to it in the debate in Italy”. On the other hand, the deadline of 30 June has also passed on the payment of the third installment of the Pnrr and the Commission has once again recalled today “that the work is still in progress” with “constructive exchanges with the Italian authorities”, but now in the interlocutions there is already talk of a fourth installment payment request, a sign that the situation is continuing longer than expected, with all the repercussions of the case.
