Antonio Tajani is departing for China. An important mission, running until 18 April, with stops in Beijing and Shanghai, institutional meetings with Chinese authorities, and economic and cultural promotion initiatives. He will meet ministers, discuss with them and other counterparts the war in the Middle East and possible paths towards peace, Hormuz and related issues. At the same time, this visit will place strong emphasis on Italian exports and, more broadly, on economic and trade relations and the strengthening of bilateral ties through the implementation of the 2024–2027 Italy–China Three-Year Action Plan.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is in a hurry, boarding the aircraft taking him to the other side of the world, but he takes time to explain what is happening between the United States and Italy and to outline the geopolitical scenario of these hours.
Minister Tajani, President Trump continues to attack Prime Minister Meloni. Will our alliance with America become weaker or more troubled?
“Look, we need to be clear about this. The relationship between the United States and Italy is historic, forged during the First World War and the War of Liberation. It is based on deeply shared values and on the gratitude we owe to America for having secured our freedom, first against Nazism and then against communism. It is a relationship that has developed under very different US administrations and equally different Italian governments”.
But never in the past has anyone, as the current occupant of the White House has done again, called NATO into question. How can this continue?
“NATO will remain. It is a structural pillar of peace, freedom and security in Europe and across the world. On this point, all my interlocutors on both sides of the Atlantic agree without hesitation”.
They used to say there was too much closeness between Rome and Washington, yet there has always been dialogue and frankness. Is Trump therefore feeling disappointed, even betrayed?
“We have only two constraints: our conscience and Italy’s national interest. Beyond that, we have worked and continue to work to maintain the best possible relationship with the United States administration, whatever it may be, Democratic or Republican. This does not remove our right to criticise an ally when it is wrong, and to consider deeply inappropriate a series of statements and attitudes by President Trump towards our country, our military, and the Prime Minister”.
And the attacks on Leo XIV?
“These, too, we can only strongly deplore. The Holy Father is not a political leader but the spiritual reference point for over one billion Catholics, among whom are many Italian citizens”.
What can be done at this point, together, diplomatically, to move beyond the war in Iran?
“There are three requirements, which must proceed in parallel and to which Italy continues to contribute. First: consolidating the fragile ceasefire that has been achieved, because war is an absolute evil. Second: a new security and stability framework that includes freedom of navigation and Iran’s renunciation of a military nuclear programme. Third: an end in Iran to killings and the imprisonment of opponents of the regime”.
During your trip to Beirut you spoke very clearly to Israel about stopping the bloodshed in Lebanon. Is there a risk of a crisis with Netanyahu, who has summoned our ambassador Luca Ferrari?
“Israel is a friendly country and a liberal democracy like Italy. For this very reason, I cannot understand conduct that is not only unacceptable but also devoid of usefulness even from Israel’s own point of view. Obstructing Italian UNIFIL soldiers—who are exemplary and widely regarded as a model for their professionalism and impartiality—is an act we are not prepared to tolerate, but one that also makes no logical sense. Lebanon is involved in this war because of an Iranian proxy such as Hezbollah, whose terrorist nature is well known. However, it is a sovereign country that cannot be turned into a battlefield, with unimaginable suffering for the civilian population. In defining a diplomatic security framework for the region, Lebanon and its sovereignty cannot be ignored. This is what I told my Israeli and Lebanese interlocutors in recent days”.
In the face of the energy shock affecting Italian citizens, how are you responding?
“It goes without saying that peace is the main path. In the meantime, the government will implement all measures, including fiscal ones, calibrated according to the duration of the crisis, to minimise its impact. That said, Italy does not control global developments, and through no fault of our own some difficulties may certainly arise. We will stand by families and businesses to overcome them as best we can”.
Yesterday Zelensky was at Palazzo Chigi with Meloni. There is also divergence with the United States on Ukraine, but does the European front still hold?
“Absolutely yes. This is one of the few contexts in which Europe has shown the unity we have always called for in the foreign policy of EU Member States. The defence of Ukraine is not only a strategic issue; Ukraine is the symbolic frontier of freedom, law and reason against brute force. If we were to leave that frontier undefended, it would not only be a tragedy for Ukrainians but for our entire world, our culture and our civilisation. That said, of course even in that context a peace—or at least a truce—must eventually be reached, one that respects Ukrainian sovereignty”.
After the Hungarian vote, is Europe stronger and, without Orbán, also more capable of deciding on various dossiers, including funding for Kyiv?
“Certainly, the fact that a declaredly Eurosceptic government has been replaced by a clearly pro-European one is an important step forward on many issues. I would like to congratulate Hungary, a great country with a distinguished but often difficult history, for achieving this historic turning point. It did so through rules, peacefully, and in full compliance with democratic procedures. The Hungarian people have chosen, as is their right, and fortunately they have chosen Europe and the West”.
We can imagine your satisfaction that the 50th anniversary of the EPP will be celebrated in Rome on 24–25 April. What does this anniversary mean in today’s geopolitical context?
“The victory of Magyar in Hungary is a victory for the principles of the European People’s Party, which we strive to implement in Italy. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the largest European political family means reaffirming the value of Europe as a spiritual, cultural, civic and also religious community of the peoples of our continent. In an increasingly confused, rule-less and disoriented world, the values we embody, and the political vision for a Europe that is not only economically but also politically a global actor, can be the only credible point of reference”.
Secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, has strongly defended Prime Minister Meloni against President Trump’s attacks. Do you welcome this stance, and what developments could it lead to?
“It is an act of political civility that I appreciated and for which I gladly acknowledge the Secretary of the Democratic Party. If it marks the beginning of a phase in which the concept of nation comes before political polemics, it would be a positive step forward in the maturity of our system. Unfortunately, however, I must note that this is certainly not the attitude of other important components of the opposition”.
