Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday gave
a mixed appraisal of the two-day European Council in Brussels.
"The evaluation of the European Council involves light and
dark," she told reporters at the end of the summit.
"I am very satisfied about the (decisions on) enlargement, with
a goal that many of us considered difficult," continued Meloni,
referring to Thursday's decision by EU heads of state and of
government to open accession talks with Ukraine and move ahead
in the enlargement process for Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia
Herzegovina.
"No solution has been found for the budget, even if in my
opinion it is within reach," she added in relation to the
failure of EU countries to agree on a long-term budget.
"For migration nothing was planned and now there are almost 10
billion euro," said Meloni.
On the negotiations to renew the European Stability and Growth
Pact, the budget rules governing all member states, the premier
said "the positions are still quite far apart" and that "more
work needs to be done".
Meloni also reiterated her position that "all avenues" including
the possibility of using a veto need to be kept open "until we
know the landing point".
"I cannot give the OK to a Pact that I, or any government,
cannot respect," she insisted.
Meloni also said that "several points of convergence" had
emerged on the Pact with France during her bilateral with
President Emmanuel Macron.
"I had a bilateral with Macron, then (German Chancellor Olaf)
Scholz, who was sitting at the table next to us stopped by,"
she told reporters.
Meloni said she and Macron had addressed all the issues "on
which we think we can build a convergence", including the
stability pact.
On the pact, there are "several points of common convergence",
she added.
On the decision to hold an extraordinary ECOFIN meeting by
videoconference next Wednesday in a bid to finalise the new
budget rules before the end of the year, Meloni said "by
removing the possibility" of seeing each other physically "it
becomes more difficult" to reach an agreement.
The premier also denied a link between Italy's ratification of
the treaty for the new European Stability Mechanism (ESM), or
bailout fund, and approval of the European Stability and Growth
Pact, other than in the public debate in Italy.
"Certainly it makes a difference for us to know the details of
the pact, but there is no element of blackmail, of saying 'If
you don't give me this I won't give you that," she told
reporters.
Italy is the only country not to have ratified the new ESM
treaty amid concerns about budget sovereignty and claims the
fund should also be used for growth.
The government has also said on several occasions that it first
wants to know what fiscal rules the country will be operating
under, based on the outcome of negotiations for the European
Stability and Growth Pact underway in Brussels.
Meloni also told reporters she is "optimistic" about the outcome
for the Italy-Albania migrant agreement, after a court in
Albania suspended ratification pending its ruling on challenges
to the plan to set up to two Italian-run migrant reception
centres in the Adriatic country.
"However, I cannot speak for what happens in a sovereign nation,
I respect the decisions of a sovereign nation," she added.
"We will see what happens in the coming weeks and, if everything
goes well, we will do our best in the coming weeks to speed
things up even more.
"For now we do not need a plan B, if we need it we will look for
it," she added.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by premiers Giorgia
Meloni and Edi Rama in early November, two centres will be set
up to process the asylum applications of migrants and refugees
who have been rescued at sea by Italian navy, coast guard and
police vessels.
This will not include the elderly, vulnerable, children or
pregnant women or migrants who have been rescued by NGO-run
ships or people who land on Italian soil.
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