The President of the European Parliament visits Northern Italy. At Confindustria in Bologna, she stressed the Mattei Plan as the EU’s model for Africa and Latin America, urged a tariff agreement with the United States and outlined her four-pillar agenda: competitiveness, innovation, youth dialogue and solidarity
A blueprint for the EU. On Tuesday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called for “deeper external relations” between the EU and like-minded regions, particularly Africa and Latin America.
- “We need partnerships rooted in investment and solid trade links,” she said while in Bologna, addressing the national assembly of Confindustria, the leading association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy.
- The Mattei Plan for Africa, which the Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni launched last year, is “our model—and it applies equally to Latin America,” Metsola added.
- Prime Minister Meloni will co-chair, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, an Africa-focused summit on 20 June in Rome to align Italy’s Mattei Plan with the EU’s Global Gateway initiative.
EU-US talks. She also pressed for a resolution to the transatlantic tariff dispute.
- “Tariffs are the last thing we want,” she said, arguing that a trade war “hurts consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.”
- “Yet there is no stronger alliance in modern history than between Europe and the United States. We must defend our positions—and find agreement,” she added.
- Prime Minister Meloni is attempting to serve as a bridge between Washington and Brussels, thanks to her rapport with both US President Donald Trump and the EU’s von der Leyen.
A citizen-centric tour. Metsola’s three-day tour, kicking off at Bologna’s Teatro EuropAuditorium, will span several issues.
- Competitiveness: Meeting Confindustria president Emanuele Orsini and Prime Minister Meloni on Italy’s industrial strengths.
- Innovation: Touring the Bologna Technopole’s Leonardo Supercomputer and ECMWF centre alongside Emilia-Romagna President Michele De Pascale.
- Youth Dialogue: Delivering a keynote at Parma’s European College and Q&A sessions with students in Milan alongside European Commission Vice President Raffaele Fitto and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
- Solidarity: Visiting the rebuilt Caseificio 4 Madonne in Modena and the European Food Safety Authority in Parma to underscore EU support for crisis resilience.
- On Wednesday, she will visit Ferrari’s Maranello plant, Turin’s Aerospace District (including Leonardo PC²Lab, Thales Alenia Space, and ALTEC), and Bergamo’s Kilometro Rosso innovation campus, engaging with local leaders and academia.
Linking ambitions. Metsola’s tour follows Monday’s visit by EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius to Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio’s Fucino centre and Avio Aero in Colleferro, accompanied by Business Minister Adolfo Urso.
- Kubilius praised Italy as an excellent example of leveraging EU funds in aerospace and warned of strategic threats from Russia and China, underscoring the need for European autonomy in space and defence.
