Surprised, Minniti tosses the US on Africa
Marco Minniti, president of the Leonardo group's Med-Or Foundation, talks about the future of Africa and Europe after the US disengagement in the Mediterranean
"The right and necessary accession of Finland and Sweden to the Atlantic alliance, together with the strategic reorientation of the United States towards Asia and the Pacific , however, risk leaving a dangerous vacuum in Europe's southern neighbourhood". This was written by the former PD minister of the interior Marco Minniti, now president of the Med-Or Foundation of the Leonardo group, formerly Finmeccanica (the aim of the foundation is – we read on the website – to promote cultural, research and scientific training activities, in order to strengthen ties, exchanges and international relations between Italy and the countries of the Mediterranean area extended to the Sahel, Horn of Africa and the Red Sea ("Med") and the Middle and Far East ("Or").
THE CHALLENGES FOR EUROPE AND ITALY COME FROM UKRAINE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN
Minniti, in an editorial in Repubblica , takes stock today on the challenges Europe and our country will have to face in the near future. From the possible exacerbation of the war in Ukraine, with repercussions on the prices of energy goods, to the tensions in the countries of the Mediterranean area which could originate from an increase in food goods. “Northern and sub-Saharan African countries are heavily dependent on imports. They have the highest per capita consumption of wheat in the world – and public budgets are stretched beyond all limits – writes Minniti -. Unable to cushion the impact of the spiraling cost of living . This entails a very real risk of increasing social tensions, political destabilization and new waves of migration. A new 2011”. And without the possibility of hoping for a new Arab spring.
US DISENGAGEMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
The president of the Med-Or Foundation adds that the US disengagement in the Mediterranean area will weigh on this. The demobilization of troops in Afghanistan last summer was the first step in a repositioning of the United States, which, having to counter Chinese expansionism, now places the focal point of its geopolitical and military strategy in the Pacific Ocean. “ The perception of US withdrawal from the region has led the Sunni world to overcome past divisions and work to shape a new and more coherent regional order in the Near East and North Africa, centered on better governance, diversification economy and stability – writes Minniti -. Evidence for this goes beyond the Gulf monarchies' fiscal support for Sunni countries across the Mediterranean Basin and also includes crucial diplomatic steps, including: the UAE and Bahrain's decision to normalize relations with Israel ; the Saudi-led initiative to end the diplomatic crisis between the Arab Quartet and Qatar; the Gulf Council's reduction of tensions with Iran through dialogue; the rapprochement of the United Arab Emirates , Saudi Arabia and Egypt with Turkey. Also symbolized by the meeting between President Erdoğan and President al-Sisi on the sidelines of the World Cup in Qatar. Absolutely the first of the two”.
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN IT IS THE TIME OF EUROPE (AND ITALY)
The president of the Med-Or foundation calls on Europe to free the Mediterranean from "competing influences, even between European countries" and to converge towards a " deeper and long-term cooperation between the EU and its partners in the enlarged Mediterranean ". A solution that will lead, according to Minniti's forecasts, to the "construction of a new world order" that sees the "southern hemisphere" as the protagonist. It therefore opens up to “a crucial challenge for Europe. An historic opportunity for Italy”.
MINNITI: “AFRICA PROTAGONIST OF THE NEAR FUTURE”
It is not the first time that Minniti has intervened on the leading role that the African continent will play in the near future. And on the need for Europe to ride the change to avoid being overwhelmed by it. “ Niger is a key country in the Sahel and North Africa for the management of migratory flows , for security in the Mediterranean and for the fight against terrorism. President Bazoum's leadership is an important point of reference for Africa and for the whole of Europe – Minniti said during the event “ Italy, Niger, Europe, Africa. Two continents, a single destiny ”, organized by your own Foundation -. The great Western democracies must look to Africa and to President Bazoum as a protagonist for the construction of a new relationship”.
FROM THE MATTEI PLAN TO THE EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF AFRICA AND LEGAL IMMIGRATION
Riding the change also means investing in the development of a territory rich in resources. Minniti does not support the "Mattei plan", the one proposed by Premier Meloni, but in an interview with Repubblica he outlines a European plan " For political stabilization, economic support, social prosperity ". Investments “in Egypt, Tunisia and other departure countries, and not to build hotspots, which are not the solution. Not even the most authoritarian of governments will be able to stop the legitimate aspiration of young people to join Europe. In addition to investments, the EU states guarantee large quotas of legal entries, because there is a need for skilled workers ”. Workers to be chosen through “our diplomatic and consular network, which people can contact to ask to enter one of the EU states. With a single constraint, however: the country of departure undertakes the immediate repatriation of illegal arrivals. We will thus remove the lifeblood of human traffickers ”. Added to this is the proposal to close illegal detention centers and "official detention centers using humanitarian corridors that Europe will undertake to open". In Libya, a transit country, the only reception centers should be managed by the "UN, EU, African Union".
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/sorpresa-minniti-sballotta-gli-usa-sullafrica/ on Fri, 09 Dec 2022 14:02:38 +0000.