Villa Eilenroch, a luxurious 19th-century residence overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the French city of Antibes, turned out to be the site of a very significant event in European politics. It is here that the first meeting of the leaders of France and Italy in the last five years is taking place, which made it possible to finally straighten out the very difficult personal relations between Emmanuel Macron and Giorgi Meloni. In particular, a bilateral roadmap in the field of defense and a number of other agreements in the defense and energy sectors are intended to become a sign of the restored friendship between Paris and Rome. Of course, few commentators could ignore the fact that the Franco-Italian summit is taking place just days after Meloni’s epic quarrel with the head of the White House, Donald Trump.
Lots of plans
Back in 2021, Paris and Rome agreed to hold annual intergovernmental meetings – this was spelled out in the Quirinal Treaty, which Emmanuel Macron, still at the head of the Elysee Palace, signed that year with then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. But in the end, it took Paris and Rome five long years to organize the first Franco-Italian summit. Moreover, this was not without delays and changes in plans: initially they wanted to hold the meeting of the leaders and delegations of the two countries in April in Toulouse, but then postponed it to June 25 in Antibes.
“This summit will provide an opportunity to deepen Franco-Italian cooperation in a number of strategic sectors, in particular defence, nuclear energy and space. We need each other,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement before the start of negotiations between Macron and Meloni. By the way, the picturesque 19th century Villa Eulenrock overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was chosen as their venue, after which the leaders of France and Italy visited the local Picasso Museum.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring town of Le Cannet (not to be confused with Cannes, which is also located nearby.— “Kommersant”) a Franco-Italian economic forum was planned with the participation of eight ministers from each side and several heads of large companies from both countries.
As a result, a dozen bilateral agreements were prepared for signing.
One of the most important in this series is the defense roadmap for the period from 2025 to 2031, which places special emphasis on the French-Italian SAMP/T air defense system (it is considered a replacement for the American Patriot), and a joint security strategy in the Mediterranean.
In addition, Paris and Rome came to an agreement to create a European satellite network in the near future, capable of competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink, and agreed to produce Aster interceptors. The latter probably became a kind of balm for the soul of the French after the recent abandonment of a joint project with the Germans to create a new generation fighter.
Also at stake are a civil nuclear cooperation agreement using small French reactors and a joint space venture agreement between Airbus, Leonardo and Thales.
Finally, according to media reports, Meloni and Macron also intended to discuss pressing pan-European political issues, including the rules of the Made in Europe program, the fight against China and the need for new sources of revenue for the next EU budget.
From hatred to almost love
It cannot be said that Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron were the main antagonists within the EU, but the relationship between this couple did not work out from the very beginning. While still in opposition, the far-right Meloni more than once mercilessly criticized the French president, for example, for neo-colonialism in Africa. And by the way, five years ago she and her Brothers of Italy party voted against the Quirinale Treaty – the very one that laid the foundation for increased cooperation between Rome and Paris and paved the way for the current leadership summit.
After Meloni came to power in Italy in October 2022, her clashes with her French counterparts continued – be it on issues of migration, abortion rights or the ban on the use of social networks by children. “Shortly after Meloni’s election in 2022, Macron tried to mend fences with the Italian leader, but she showed little interest,” one former senior French official recalled to Politico.
Back in January of this year, the Italian Prime Minister openly favored the special ties between Rome and Berlin. At a time of open opposition from Paris and Macron personally to the EU’s trade deal with the Mercosur bloc, Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who consider the agreement vital for the development of European industry, gathered for a bilateral summit at the luxurious Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome, using the occasion to present themselves as transatlantic leaders who could become a bridge for the entire EU to Donald Trump.
However, following the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, George Meloni took a much more confrontational line towards the head of the White House, which, as is known, led to a sharp cooling in relations between her and Trump. Last week, against the backdrop of the American president’s very boorish comments to the Italian prime minister, the relationship between the two leaders completely escalated into a loud and personal conflict, convincing the latter to distance itself even further from the United States. “The recent conflict between Meloni and Trump is certainly an opportunity for the French and Italian leaders to get closer,” said the former French official cited above.
The first visible evidence that Emmanuel Macron was not angry with the Italian for her previous coldness was the scene of the meeting of both politicians on April 17 at the Elysee Palace, where the leaders gathered for a summit on ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Macron came out to meet the guest, who arrived in a spectacular red suit matching the color of her Alfa Romeo, grabbed her tightly by the shoulders, hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks, and, as can be seen in the video of this scene, which immediately went viral, at some stage the French president even managed to put his arm around Meloni’s waist. The emotional but awkward gesture, which went beyond standard diplomatic protocol, was greeted by the Italian leader with obvious bewilderment, but a few seconds after the hug, both laughed and began talking.
Against this background, no less emotional warmth is expected from the current meeting of this couple in picturesque and sunny Antibes. At least the France 24 website headlined its preview of the first Franco-Italian summit: “Kisses and smiles: Macron and Meloni will demonstrate their “good understanding” on the French Riviera.”
