Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein today attacked “Meloni’s Europe” after Hungary and Poland blocked an agreement on the new EU pact on migration and asylum at the European Council last week. Meloni has friendly ties with the conservative administrations in both countries.
Budapest and Warsaw opposed making solidarity in the management of migrants and refugees obligatory. This is something which was part of the pact which Italy and Greece have been demanding, given the high number of migrants coming to their shores via sea.
“The Europe that Meloni has in mind is not the Europe of the peoples but the Europe of national vetoes, like those of her Hungarian and Polish allies who reject European solidarity on the reception of migrants to the detriment of Italy,” Schlein said when visiting the island of Ventotene.
“Instead of fighting to replace the Dublin Regulation (on migrant reception), the premier agrees with them”.
What is the new immigration pact?
Under an agreement for the new pact thrashed out by interior ministers last month, each country would be responsible for a share of all the migrants and refugees arriving in the EU. Those unwilling to receive them would have to pay around €20,000 for each person they refused to accept.
On Friday Meloni said that she did not fell let down by Poland and Hungary. “I am never disappointed by those who defend their national interests,” Meloni told reporters after the summit.
“Their position does not concern the external dimension, which is the Italian priority and is the only way to address migration and get everyone to agree”.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s Law and Justice group both belong to the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party).
