The French and Italian leaders are mending their rifts with a summit on the French Riviera and a flurry of deals.
Giorgio Leali
For years, Macron and Meloni had a rocky relationship, with clashes on numerous issues, spanning from migration to abortion rights and the killing of a far-right activist earlier this year.
“Shortly after Meloni’s election in 2022, Macron tried to build bridges with the Italian leader, but Meloni showed little interest,” said one former senior French official, who was in office at the time and was granted anonymity to talk freely.
“But the recent spat between Meloni and Trump clearly gives the French and Italian leaders an opportunity to get closer,” the former official added.
Back to basics
Between a stroll to the Antibes’ Picasso museum and a visit to a Franco-Italian satellite maker, Meloni, Macron, their ministers and the CEOs will sign a flurry of deals, including one on civil nuclear power — with a focus on using small French reactors — and an agreement on a joint space venture between Airbus, Leonardo and Thales, according to Macron’s office.
One of the key priorities of the get-together on the Baie des Anges is for France and Italy to build closer ties on defense. This comes just days after a major blow to the Franco-German relationship, with Paris and Berlin abandoning years-long negotiations to jointly build a next-generation fighter jet.
Paris and Rome will not only sign a 2025 to 2031 bilateral defense roadmap and a joint strategy to guarantee security in the Mediterranean, but will also make announcements on the production of Aster interceptor missiles and a Franco-Italian air defense system.
