The Paris Wall – “France had to welcome the Ocean Viking. We could not endanger women, men and their children. We work at European level so that (the Prime Minister) Giorgia Meloni respects her commitments and this situation does not happen again”, said the spokesman for the French government, Olivier Ve’ran, minister of “Democratic Renewal” with a message via Twitter in which he relaunches his speech on Bfm TV. “The Italians – the French minister told the broadcaster – are our friends, the our neighbors, our brothers. Italy is France’s second largest trading partner and every day there are tens of thousands of Italians and French who cross the border to go to work with each other. Our families are deeply connected, therefore it is certainly not the case to incriminate Italy or the Italians. We denounce a unilateral, unacceptable, anti-pragmatic, ineffective and unjust decision by the current Italian government . Which requires European responses “. From this story” Italy is the loser – Ve’ran argued – because it normally has a mechanism of European solidarity “, in particular with France and Germany who undertake to relocate migrants” in exchange of the fact that Italy welcomes the ships “. Instead now” if Italy does not respect the fundamental commitment of the European solidarity mechanism, we will not give the expected counterpart – said the French executive spokesman – which was to welcome 3,000 migrants currently on Italian territory “.
Tajani replies: “Italy cannot be left alone once again” – “Exaggerated tones” by France on the issue of migrants with Italy and on the Ocean Viking case. This was stated by the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani. “We want to tackle the issue of migration with great serenity, but it must be tackled at the European level and Italy cannot be left alone once again”. The attitude of France on the whole “seems to me more a problem linked to their internal politics,” he added. On the Ocean Viking “we have not broken either with France or with Europe: we have posed a political problem”, he concluded.
Salvini: “Government ready for a hard punch” – “Close in sight: fines, kidnappings and more checks. The government ready to punch hard on landings”. This is what we read on the social profiles of the vice-premier and minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, adding “Those who make mistakes, pay. That’s good”.
Luxembourg: “Test to understand the intentions of the new government” – While the tension on migrants between France and Italy remains high, the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn declares that “the two EU countries are two essential pillars for achieving a reform of the European migration management system. A continuing dispute between Rome and Paris. it will harm the whole Union “. And he adds: “On the migrants dossier we will read the real intentions of the newly elected Italian government on how much Europe it wants. I sincerely hope that it is just an accident at the beginning of the new government in Rome”. On Monday, the holders of European diplomacy meet in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council.
The position of Paris: Europe will pronounce itself after the no of Rome at the landing – Paris asked “Europe to express itself very quickly on the developments that will follow” Italy’s refusal to welcome the Ocean Viking and the migrants on board, government spokesman Olivier Véran told Bfm-Tv. Véran again criticized Rome’s refusal, “a unilateral, unacceptable, ineffective and unjust decision by the current Italian government, which demands European responses”. “The first response – he continued – was the humanitarian one, and we did it”, welcoming the ship to Toulon. “The second is to remember the obligations” of Italy “and if he refuses, to imagine any measure that could be useful”.
Migrants, French controls in Ventimiglia | Tajani: “Italy cannot be left alone once again”