Meeting in Rome: Merz seeks to join forces with Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni didn't miss the opportunity to strengthen German-Italian relations. On Friday, she sat next to the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a summit of European heads of state and government in Albania, and the following day, she reserved the entire evening for Merz. Although the Italian capital was teeming with state guests the day before the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, she received the German with military honors in the courtyard of her government residence, the Palazzo Chigi. This was followed by an hour-long meeting between the two delegations, a lengthy press conference, and dinner.

Meloni had previously spoken with the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is chairing the G7 group of major industrialized nations this year. Merz has arranged to meet with the Canadian early Sunday morning, before all the politicians, along with hundreds of thousands of believers, attend the mass in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis's successor.

Merz, who had avoided a trip to Rome as a candidate for chancellor to avoid being photographed with the party leader of a largely post-fascist party, showed his friendliest side on Saturday. While she consistently referred to him as "Cancelliere" at the press conference, he frequently and happily used her first name, Georgia, and the informal "du" (formal). The two apparently got along splendidly, which was a new experience for the Italian after her time with the reserved Olaf Scholz, who also repeatedly attacked her politically. Meloni leads a coalition of three right-wing to far-right parties in Rome.

On the issue, Merz and Meloni emphasized a wide range of substantive agreement, from economic and trade policy to military issues and migration policy. The change of government in Germany is paying off for Meloni, especially in the latter area. While she had received much criticism from the Greens and the SPD for her attempts to limit the influx of migrants across the Mediterranean through agreements with North African states and tightening domestic policy measures, Merz is clearly willing to take a leap of faith.

Asked about Meloni's plan to have those caught at sea brought to a camp in Albania instead of Italy , Merz said he was well aware of the Italian legal situation that has so far prevented this project, but that it was an interesting approach: certainly not the solution to the migration problem, but perhaps a solution. In any case, his government would "no longer put the brakes on" a tougher migration policy in Brussels, he promised.

Merz is clearly trying to boost Meloni's standing among the European heads of state and government. In Italy, press reports from Germany received considerable attention, stating that Italy was not listed among the "indispensable strategic partners" in the coalition agreement because the former chancellor's party, the SPD, had prevented this. Such reports were "false," Merz said. Among the main negotiators, "there was never any contentious discussion about Italy's role in the European Union."

However, Meloni was also not present at a recent visit to Kyiv by heads of state and government from France, Great Britain, Poland, and Germany – unlike her predecessor, Mario Draghi, on an earlier trip. When asked about this, Merz pointed out the origins of the "G3 format" of France, Great Britain, and Germany at the press conference, but also signaled "that Italy must play a role here." He had already advocated for Poland to join the group due to its geographical proximity to Ukraine and would hold further talks with other European partners in the coming days.

"We must not allow ourselves to be divided within the European Union. There are no first- or second-class members," Merz said. This could be interpreted as a hint that Meloni could soon be admitted to this group. However, Meloni's poor relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron and the experience of previous participants in the round that coordination becomes more difficult with each additional member argue against this.

The deepening of German-Italian economic relations also received considerable attention. Both countries intend to cooperate, particularly in the areas of small and medium-sized businesses and energy supply. Meloni also called for a weakening of environmental policy in the EU, which could otherwise destroy Europe's industrial base. She advocated for German support in its efforts in the automotive industry to weaken the ban on combustion engines, which is due to be implemented by 2035; however, Merz remained tight-lipped on this issue.

In contrast, Merz explicitly acknowledged how important Meloni's good relationship with US President Donald Trump is for the Europeans, whom she has met more often than any of her colleagues since his election. When asked at the press conference what she recommended to Merz for his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump, Meloni laughed: "I don't necessarily feel able to act as a psychologist for international leaders." Trump defends his country's interests and respects politicians who do the same. Nevertheless, the meeting in Rome was a good opportunity for Merz to get tips on how to deal with Trump.