ROME – After a long meeting with Italian ambassadors in Middle Eastern countries, and near the end of another heated day on the international front Antonio Tajani has a conviction. The Italian Foreign Minister says that the situation is indeed “worrying” as the clashes are multiplying and the powder keg could explode at any moment. However, at the moment, “no reactions that would lead to a destructive escalation seem imminent. We must all make every effort to keep the possibility of dialogue alive and reach a cease-fire in Gaza. War must not become inevitable. To this end, we are working day and night to keep up continuous contacts on all fronts”.
Do you not fear Iran’s reaction after the killing of Hamas political leader Haniyeh?
“We hope there will be no such reaction, even though initial statements may suggest so. We are clearly walking on thin ice, but if Tehran called for UN intervention – thus involving the international community politically – it could mean we won’t see a disproportionate reaction. I have just discussed this with my Emirati Foreign Minister colleague, who was in Tehran a few hours ago for the investiture of the new President. We should not raise our voices against the issue, we should try to calm the situation with quiet diplomacy and discreet actions.”
Do you believe Israel’s reaction to be commensurate?
“I do not know and do not want to judge whether this gesture is more serious than other retaliations or actions of war. However, I insist, we must work to avoid escalation in any way. Again today, as we have done in the past, we must tell Israel that the right to self-defence is unquestionable, but that we must not fall into the trap of taking disproportionate reactions to the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah. Now that the offensive in Gaza against Hamas (which has been substantially defeated in the area, so much so that aid supplies to the population have resumed) is over, we must work to free the hostages and achieve a cease-fire, without making a stabilisation of the area impossible.”
Italy is involved in the Unifil mission in Lebanon, another uncertain front.
“Yes, it is another area where we are in continuous and direct contact with our compatriots. Three thousand Italians live permanently in Lebanon. They often have dual citizenship and have no intention of being evacuated; about three hundred people could be evacuated if they wanted to. We are ready for any eventuality, but at the moment there does not seem to be any immediate danger.”
Are you trying to calm public opinion?
“I am neither underplaying nor dramatizing: we are monitoring the situation in real time. At the moment it seems that there are no imminent risks.”
Yet our soldiers are in a war zone.
“We have asked through Minister Crosetto at the UN that the situation be assessed and the safety of our soldiers on site guaranteed, with a clear and unambiguous mandate. It is not up to us what can be done on the field, it is up to international law. We are very careful so that nothing is left to improvisation. At present, however, I repeat, no imminent risks seem to exist. We are working to ensure that common sense prevails on all sides. Our role is to mediate on all fronts.”
An open front is also present in Venezuela after the vote that led to Maduro’s re-election.
“Yes, Venezuela is another area of possible conflict, in this case internal, which we are following very closely: as there are 163,000 Italians registered with Aire in Venezuela, we are monitoring the situation very closely. It seems to me that our country is united, and for this I also thanked our opposition, in keeping with what was called for today in a G7 document: to have the oppositions and independent observers take part in election monitoring operations.”
Turning to internal affairs, there is much talk about FI: is it true that new arrivals from centrist parties such as Iv and Azione are imminent?
“We have a project: we want to create a ‘home’ for moderates, a permanent centre of gravity in Italian politics. We made it to 10 per cent when they were giving us up for dead: now we are aiming for 20 per cent for the next political elections. But to achieve this we do not need individual names, but ideas, projects. We are not a shelter for those who no longer have a party behind them…. Let me be clear, whoever wants to come and work with us is welcome, and important new members will be joining us soon. However, having 2 more deputies, 2 more senators, 2 more regional councillors is not important. The trust of voters is not won in this way, but with serious projects.”
Is the fight for more humane prisons a cornerstone of your project?
“It is part of the programme I presented when I was elected secretary. We are not the ‘tana libera tutti’ (free everyone) party; we advocate for certain sentences to be served, but in a humane manner. Prisoners should be deprived of their liberty, not be imprisoned like rats in a cage. It is the only way to return citizens to society, not ex-convicts who perhaps become free and then return to crime. Prisons must strive to rehabilitate individuals.”
You have also contested Toti’s pre-trial detention. Have you found a candidate for the next elections in Liguria?
“I believe that an election day for the three regions voting in the autumn is beneficial, and I think a civic candidate is needed in Liguria. But we want a winner, not just someone wanting to participate. This is what we are currently discussing.”
