As the row brewed, Mrs Merkel put on a show of solidarity with Mr Hollande and Mr Renzi on a warship moored off Ventotene, a volcanic island near Naples seen as the birthplace of the EU.
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“In the digital sector, countries outside Europe are very competitive and we need to show more ambition and be among the leaders in this field”, Merkel said.
“We respect Great Britain’s decision but we also want to make clear that the other 27 (member states) are banking on a safe and prospering Europe”, Merkel said.
Matteo Renzi said this Monday in a joint press conference with the French President François Hollande and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that “Europe is the biggest opportunity for new generations”.
The three placed three bouquets of blue and yellow flowers the colors of the European Union on Spinelli’s simple white marble tombstone before meeting for an hour privately aboard the nearby Garibaldi.
Europe’s economic outlook, jihadist attacks, the refugee and migrant drama, the Syrian conflict, and relations with Russian Federation and Turkey were also expected to be on the agenda.
Following the meeting in Italy, Merkel will travel to Estonia, the Czech Republic and Poland for various meetings regarding post-Brexit EU strategy.
Italy’s Garibaldi aircraft carrier is the flagship of the EU’s anti-migrant smuggling operation in the Mediterranean Sea.
Mr Maurer, who also oversees Switzerland’s borders, said German officials had stationed an additional 90 border guards and 40 police officers to turn back illegal migrants from Switzerland.
From their cells on the island, together they wrote what became known as the “Ventotene Manifesto”; an early call for the unification of Europe against the fascist dictatorships of Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.
They said they would discuss improving European Union cooperation on intelligence and defence matters, giving aid to African nations to stop migration flows to Europe, and promoting growth and jobs, particularly for the younger generations. Italy’s economy stagnated in the second quarter, pushing off budget forecasts, and Renzi is pressing for greater flexibility by the European Commission.
Mr Renzi said 102,000 migrants had reached Italian shores so far in 2016, compared to 105,000 at this point previous year, and said help must still be available “to those who really need it”.
All three leaders have been hit in the polls by varying toxic combinations of refugee crisis, economic slump and terror attacks, with eurosceptic or populist parties gaining ground. “I am very glad that we have Brussels, but I am also glad to visit various member states to remind them we are an important community. which intends to give people work and a future”.
And with 2017 bringing a general election in Germany and a presidential election in France, they will be wary of ignoring opposition to further European integration at home, leaving them little room for manoeuvre.
“Europe is on the witness stand”, Ms. Merkel said.
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Mentioning the escalating war in Syria and the refugee crisis, Merkel said, “We should do more for the internal and external security” of the EU.
