Any position that risks undermining Western unity is both misguided and unrealistic. Regardless of the political affiliation of the American administration, it is necessary to work to maintain our anchoring in the West and the transatlantic alliance, including through support for Ukraine.
These have been firm principles for the Meloni government, but not for the broad centre-left coalition. This is what Mariastella Gelmini, a member of parliament from Noi Moderati and President of the Italy–United States Bilateral Friendship Section of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, told Formiche.net.
Q: October 12 has been proclaimed “Columbus Day” by President Trump. Moreover, a few days ago you received a delegation from the US House of Representatives and Senate in Rome. How are Italian-American relations progressing?
A: Relations are very intense and, as you recalled, this very week we held discussions with a US delegation interested in how Parliament functions in its relations with governments, as well as a meeting on economic issues, including relations between Europe and China, with a focus also on Ukraine.
- Our excellent relations, as is well known, therefore remain based on the NATO alliance but also on parliamentary diplomacy. Among those present was also a delegation from the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan delegation of Republicans and Democrats.
Q: How is cooperation between the US and Italy progressing on key issues? What importance, for example, will an agreement as significant as the one on Pax Silica have in the future?
A: It will certainly have considerable importance. On the American side, I must say there has been great respect for the work the Meloni government is doing and great interest in Italian identity in the United States, as demonstrated by the reference to Christopher Columbus and the need not to give in to woke culture.
- We must ensure that this Italian identity is recognised in the United States and maintained over time.
Q: How much does the Meloni government’s determination to strengthen Atlanticism influence relations with the United States, especially while some European leaders are looking too much towards Beijing?
A: What I was able to gather from these discussions is that there is full awareness of the role Italy is playing in Europe, from the Italian prime minister’s influence on European policy issues to the strengthening of the Atlantic Alliance in relation to the China question.
- I had the opportunity to point out that Italy’s position cannot disregard an awareness of the effects of massive public subsidies to companies. Chinese markets do not always operate in accordance with respect for intellectual property, so the issue of unfair competition exists and, especially for those of us in the northeast, it is an issue that affects the system of small and medium-sized enterprises, which has been facing Chinese competition for decades.
- I presented this situation to them, and they acknowledged that the Italian prime minister has always acted with a view to strengthening the transatlantic alliance. I also emphasised the importance of a united West, and therefore of strengthening relations not only with Italy, which are already good, but with Europe as a whole. Furthermore, there has recently been a directive between the United States and Europe on the China issue, which I believe is a step in the right direction.
Q: Yesterday, on the Acropolis, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a very interesting speech, issued an appeal to the West, which finds itself at a crossroads: the next decade will determine whether it maintains its position at the top of the world or settles for a future of decline. So I ask you: which path should the West take and, above all, how?
A: First of all, I believe there needs to be a profound awareness of what the West represents and of the need to avoid acts of self-harm, because very often we ourselves have been the first to divide the West.
- Democracy, freedom, the rule of law, respect for human rights: let us not forget that this is precisely what the West is. I therefore believe it is very important to be aware of what we represent, of the historical significance of certain achievements, and therefore to stand on the right side of history, including the need to defend Western unity.
- Certainly, today any position that risks undermining Western unity is both misguided and unrealistic. So I believe we must absolutely start from there and, regardless of the political affiliation of the American administration, we need to work to maintain our anchoring in the West and the transatlantic alliance, including through support for Ukraine. These have been firm principles for the Meloni government, but not for the broad centre-left coalition.
