In the coming days, Europe’s de facto leader will meet eight more European Presidents and Prime Ministers, as part of a concerted effort to stabilise the bloc.
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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 leaders were speaking ahead of a working dinner aboard the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier, anchored off the island of Ventotene, one of the cradles of the dream of a united, integrated Europe.
The aim of the European leaders was to lay the groundwork for the EU summit due to be be held in Bratislava in September. They would also discuss Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis, the Syrian conflict and relations with Russian Federation and Turkey, Renzi said.
Leaders of the eurozone’s largest economies met Monday, to discuss the economy, migration and security. Italy wants European governments to do more to boost economic growth and is anticipating resistance from Germany, though French officials are expecting to find a budget formula that can keep both their counterparts happy without bending the rules.
Renzi greeted Hollande and Merkel at Naples military airport from where the trio flew by helicopter to the small island of Ventotene, where they visited the grave of Altiero Spinelli, considered one of the founding fathers of the ideal of European unity.
“If you’re member of a club you have certain benefits, but if you’re out, you will not have the benefits any more”, said Fuchs, a deputy leader of Merkel’s group in the German parliament.
“A lot of people thought that after Brexit, it would be over for Europe”. “We have to consider what are our priorities are going to be and where we want to continue our efforts.”Merkel reiterated that Britain must invoke Article 50, triggering the procedure for exiting the European Union, before the remaining European Union members can respond with their ideas on how to shape the future relationship between Britain and the EU”. The carrier is the flagship of the EU’s “Sophia” mission against people trafficking in the Mediterranean. “For many years we were against the Europeanisation of this issue, now we want more European cooperation”, she said.
Renzi, who is campaigning for greater flexibility on European Union deficit rules to help his flagging economy, said “we need strong measures to relaunch growth and fight youth unemployment”.
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“With upcoming state and also national elections, there’s little to no appetite in Germany on the European economic integration front”, said Mujtaba Rahman, a managing director at the Eurasia Group consulting firm in Europe.
