“Israel has now won, a ceasefire is possible. Albania is not Rwanda and France is doing as we are doing”.
Forza Italia’s leader and Foreign Minister Tajani is on a mission to the Middle East. ‘”We need to work immediately on a UNIFIL 3 with new rules”
“Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, the Emirates or Egypt are fundamental for peace. France looks with interest at firmness to counter irregular immigration”
Minister Tajani is very firm and optimistic. Today he will be in Israel and then in Palestine and he is not going to make small talk. He wants results.
Minister what is the purpose of your mission?
“The mission is clear: to work for peace and to achieve a ceasefire in both the Lebanon and Gaza. During my visit I will meet with President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Israel Katz and, in Ramallah, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa”.
Can the death of Yahya Sinwar be a push for peace?
“There is a possibility that Israel – having won militarily and struck the mastermind of the 7 October massacre, and therefore the mastermind of Hamas – may feel satisfied and look more willingly at a ceasefire in Gaza, in exchange for the release of the hostages who are still in terrorists’ hands.”
Is this Italy’s policy line?
“We insist on this with Israel and the Lebanon, also aiming at a ceasefire in the Lebanon. I believe that in order to reach an agreement it is also useful to speed up the timing for the election of the new Lebanese President, who must be a Maronite according to the Lebanese Constitution, and can become a valid and authoritative counterpart for Israel.”
Is the UNIFIL mission important?
“The UNIFIL mission has to be strengthened. We have to work already now on what we could call “UNIFIL 3”. The rules of engagement must be changed to give more capacity and scope for intervention. We shall do this with the Parties’ agreement. I believe that the solution to ensure stability is to create a UNIFIL “buffer” between the Israeli border and the Litani river to the north. From the river, further up north, the regular Lebanese army. Further north, the Hezbollah. This is to create a double buffer: UNIFIL, the Lebanese army and then Hezbollah. This is also to give the Lebanon power over its territory. In this respect, strengthening the role and capacity of the Lebanese armed forces is decisive.”
Should it be an evolution of the current UNIFIL?
“Yes, and it should be negotiated and accepted by all. We must also endeavour to define with certainty a land border between Israel and the Lebanon that is recognised by all, as was the case for the maritime border thanks to the role played by US mediators”.
Is there not a risk that Sinwar could become a symbol, a martyr for a part of the Islamic world?
“They will attempt this operation, but I believe that the man who organised the 7 October massacre cannot be considered a symbol by anyone”.
What role can Arab countries play in the Middle East?
“Arab countries are crucial because the Palestinians are obviously part of the Arab world. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan can be key elements for peacemaking in the region. This is the reason why I have said that for the reunification of Palestine I am thinking of an international mission led by Arab countries. After all, what was the reason for the attack on 7 October? The reason was also that Hamas wanted to prevent an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. That was the political objective.”
Let us turn to Italian politics: is the judges’ decision to release the migrants who had been taken to Albania a severe problem for the government?
“As Montesquieu taught us, democracy is based on the separation of powers into legislative, judicial and executive power. This is the reason why I have told someone of the left-wing parties they would do well to read Montesquieu again. If one of these powers oversteps its boundary there is a problem. An institutional problem, not a left or right-wing problem. The judiciary must apply the law, it cannot change it. It cannot decide whether a law is right or not. These are laws adopted by Parliament.
The judges have decided that it is up to them to make immigration policy, to appoint or dismiss regional Governors, to establish public works: is not Parliament being totally deprived of power today?
‘I must first say that I am not against the judges. But a justice reform is urgently needed. We want a separation of careers because the system must find a better balance. That is to say that too much power in the hands of one party – in this case, the judiciary – unbalances everything and breaks this balance that is the guarantee of democracy. What aggravates the problem is that in our republican history there has been an excessive politicisation of the judiciary. When the judiciary is allowed to have a current linked to a political party, how can we speak about independence of the judiciary?”
Justice Minister Nordio said: we must be accountable to voters, not to the judiciary.
“This is right. Power belongs to the people who entrust it to those they elect. It is the people who decide. There are no anointed of the Lord to decide. This is the heart of democracy. This is the rule of law.”
Schlein accuses you of being in favour of absolute democracy.
‘No, I am not. I am in favour of the controlled exercise of power that the people entrust to their elected representatives. Probably in the Democratic Party’s family album there are people who believed little in democracy and Europeanism. Not in my family album, in which there are people like Einaudi, De Gasperi.”
In France, there seems to be disagreement between President Macron and Prime Minister Barnier on immigration issues.
“I see a France that is increasingly looking . through its government, at a firm policy line to counter irregular immigration. Yesterday, with Interior Minister Piantedosi, I had the pleasure of meeting French Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Interior Minister
In France, there seems to be disagreement between Macron and Prime Minister Barnier on immigration issues.
‘I see a France that – with its government – is increasingly looking at a firm policy line to counter irregular immigration. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting French Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Interior Minister with my colleague Matteo Piantedosi. We saw a France very open to an exchange of views and collaboration with Italy, very attentive to the need for addressing migration issues as well. Our model is followed by many, including President Von derLeyen. And beware: Albania is not Rwanda, Albania is a candidate country for membership in the European Union that has chosen to share our problems.”
