Italy's Meloni charting independent course Amid imposed narratives

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has once again showcased her independent thinking, prioritizing the interests of her country in her decision-making. Her approach emphasizes a commitment to Italy's traditions and the cultural and historical achievements of its people. This became particularly evident over the past week.

First and foremost, nearly all leading Western media outlets reported that Meloni would not be attending the meeting with US President Joe Biden scheduled for October 18 in Berlin. The meeting will also include French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In her statement, the Italian Prime Minister explained that her absence was due to an "urgent trip to the Middle East."

It is particularly significant that she announced this on October 17 during the ongoing two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels, emphasizing that she would be unable to attend the Berlin meeting "under any circumstances" because she would be in Lebanon on that date. Notably, she highlighted that it might be "more effective to talk to people in the region than to do so among ourselves," making her Middle Eastern visit a "priority”.

It’s not hard to imagine the shock this statement caused among EU leaders, especially considering her current presidency of the G-7. However, it’s possible that this reaction is precisely what Meloni anticipated.

Regarding the focus of her trip to the Middle East, Meloni is scheduled to hold talks with Jordanian King Abdullah II and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. According to Meloni, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, is expected to visit Israel and Palestine next week. In her address to the country's parliament ahead of her Middle Eastern visit, Meloni expressed "deep concern" about the situation in Lebanon, particularly referencing Israeli shelling of United Nations Interim Forces positions in the country, where over 1,000 Italian military personnel are deployed. She condemned "the Israeli forces’ approach to be completely unjustified" and "a clear violation of the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701."

Regarding Meloni's Middle Eastern focus during the Brussels summit, information leaked to the media ahead of the event suggested that the Italian Prime Minister intended to urge her partners to reconsider their stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It was anticipated that she would raise this issue "in the interest of the entire European Union," particularly in the context of addressing Syrian migrants. According to The Times, Meloni is advocating for a revision of the EU's strategy concerning Syria, emphasizing the need to engage with all parties to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Overall, her proposal does not seem nonsensical, as Italy became the first G7 country to resume its diplomatic mission in Damascus last summer. Furthermore, Meloni has confidently assumed European leadership in the broader context of migration. As previously reported by Caliber.Az, it was her initiative that led to the launch of a pilot project involving Italy and Albania, through which Rome funded the construction of a special centre in the Albanian port of Shengjin, located outside the EU. In this centre, asylum seekers will wait for their documentation to be processed quickly (or face rejection).

Another significant decision made by the Italian government in recent days is the ban on Italian citizens using surrogacy services abroad (previously, the ban applied only within Italy), with penalties including criminal prosecution for violators. According to experts, this law is aimed at LGBTQ+ couples, who are prohibited from adopting children or using IVF in Italy. In this context, analysts referenced Meloni's well-known statement: "Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBTQ+ lobby."

In light of Meloni's actions in October, it is noteworthy that she has not aligned herself with the engaged anti-Azerbaijani forces that have openly demonstrated their hostility toward the country ahead of COP29. On October 11, Italy's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Francesco Corvaro, referred to the climate conference in Baku as an event of "great significance." He announced that Italy would be represented at COP29 by Giorgia Meloni and Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto. He emphasized that, given the need to make decisions "on the climate financing plan for the future," the establishment of "a new funding structure" is becoming increasingly relevant, and "Azerbaijan's activities in this regard are very important."

In this context, it is worth recalling that during negotiations in Rome in September 2024 between Meloni and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Italian Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the bilateral relations and highlighted the role of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in ensuring the energy security of Italy and other European countries. She also noted new avenues for cooperation between the Italian company Eni and SOCAR. Following this, she thanked President Aliyev for the invitation to COP29, expressing her eagerness to participate in the event. Notably, during his address at the International Forum in Cernobbio, Aliyev referred to Italy as "Azerbaijan's number one trading partner in the world."

Thus, as we can see, Italy, despite certain obstacles, continues to pursue an independent policy rooted in its famous electoral slogan: "First and foremost—Italy and the Italians!"