“We refused the money. Italy will not become a collection point»- Corriere.it

LUXEMBOURG it was a busy day. This is a place of mediation and we are satisfied. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi speak to Corriere della Sera on his way to the airport, following twelve hours of negotiation which resulted in an agreement between member states on the two main regulations in the new Pact for Migration and Asylum.

How did he manage to convince the Germans?
It was a complex negotiation whose complexity was given precisely by the matter and the value of what was being discussed. This is a place of mediation between many subjects and therefore a balance point had to be found between the various positions. The final negotiation was on some points that we considered fundamental such as that of the definition of third countries with which to conclude agreements and substantially passed our line on which we made converge all the countries that had blockaded on this.

Germany was concerned about the definition of a safe third country.
Italy has never thought of anything different that was respectful of the international legal framework, we have managed to maintain our position, we have found mediation on other things, we are satisfied. an important day but a starting point. We have the prospects of realizing what we have been negotiating about.

An example?
On the issues of compulsory solidarity, we preferred not to accept cash compensation to finance Italy because Italy believes it has the dignity of a founding country of the Union and we do not need cash compensation to become the EU’s gathering point. We preferred to aim for a mechanism that provides compensation for countries that do not accept the relocation of migrants but that the related resources go to finance a fund specially set up and managed by the EU Commission to carry out projects of that so-called external dimension which for the first time time it is materialized in EU acts and on which the Meloni government has always put pressure since it took office in all possible locations.

Will we be able to handle border procedures? Isn’t there a risk that refugee camps will be created on our territory?
We have accepted the challenge of border procedures, indeed we have anticipated them because with the decree law approved in Cutro we have foreseen them and we have obtained financial support and logistical support from the EU for the correct implementation of these procedures. Then there is a renegotiation clause of one or two years depending on the various objects: if it has worked, the agreement is renewed or vice versa, it is changed. We accepted the procedures because Italy, Greece and Malta are physiologically first port countries: not that if you don’t agree to build the infrastructures to carry out the border procedures, the migrants will not arrive on our shores, so we preferred to make a speech long term. We are deeply convinced that our government is a government that will last, that has perspective and that must therefore think about medium and long-term projects.

satisfied with the method used?
At a certain point on Italy’s positions a block of countries had been created which had followed us on our perplexities and it was not the usual pattern of the Mediterranean as opposed to the countries of the North but they were countries variously distributed geographically. Then mediation was found on the points that we raised and these countries too decided to access mediation and almost all voted in favour. Italy was central to an important discussion.

Did Holland support you in the negotiation?
He participated in all the critical points of the negotiation both in the critical phase and then in the definitive solution.

He obtained that responsibility for Sar cases remained for one year as now and not increased to two.
For the first time, Sar cases are considered to be the responsibility of the EU.

satisfied with the other numbers?
We got a little negotiation. They are challenging but we feel up to it and we are comforted by the fact that everything takes place in a context of concrete European support.

Have you consulted with Prime Minister Meloni in these hours?
There was certainly my responsibility here, but I share the credit with the government.

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