Good afternoon everyone.  

My sincere thanks. Thanks to Minister Antonio Tajani, to the Permanent Representations of Italy to the European Union and to NATO, and thanks to our Embassy in Brussels for once again organising the States General of Italy here. I of course would also like to greet the Ministers present: Minister Fitto, Minister Lollobrigida, Minister Zangrillo. My greetings also go to Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni and all authorities and officials present, and all speakers. I am unfortunately unable to remain for the duration of this event, although I sincerely consider it to be very important. Above all I wish to thank each of you for this wonderful sight before me.

Unless I am mistaken, this event has only ever been held once before, seven years ago. I think the level of participation here today also helps us to understand that events like this should become the norm and that it is very useful to organise such initiatives, because they are necessary. Their purpose, however, is not for us to simply come together to perhaps celebrate each other or tell each other about ourselves or have another opportunity to parade around. I think initiatives like this are necessary for a much more significant and much more important reason, because anyone who has any responsibility, regardless of what level of responsibility that may be, at some point has to make decisions, and feel alone. So, there you go, look around you. You are not alone, we are not alone in any of the decisions we make. When something goes badly, it is never just one person’s fault. When something goes well, it is never thanks to just one person’s efforts. We are not alone in our victories, we are not alone in our defeats. We are not alone even if we do not know each other. I do not know many of you personally, you do not know me personally, in some cases we will probably never get to know each other; many of you don’t know each other personally either. Yet we all work for the same team and that is something we can remember above all by talking about it, telling each other about our experiences, expressing our own points of view. It helps us to remember that the team we are part of is called Italy and that, in this team, regardless of the role we play, everyone makes a difference.
This team only works well if everyone plays their part to the best of their ability. Even when it may seem boring, even though it may get complicated or monotonous at times, what we do and what you all do actually changes people’s lives. Our jobs, and your jobs, involve a lot of paperwork, right? Behind all that paperwork, however, are hopes, lives, possibilities and the opening and closing of opportunities. This is how we need to see it, because this is what gives us the passion to do what we do and the pride, intransigence and boldness that I believe Italy needs in order to do even better.

They say it takes people to make ideas happen. I think that’s correct although somewhat imperfect, because it’s not just about the process of making ideas happen, but rather believing in the end goal. Ideas therefore come above all from people’s hearts; it is passion that makes the difference. Passion makes the difference because passion gives you the determination to try again when you feel like you’re failing, the creativity to get around any obstacles you may come across, and the enthusiasm not to be submissive. This is something that I’ve sometimes seen in Italy: we have never lacked ability but we have sometimes lacked willingness, not truly believing that we could have more or, in other words, the ability to be daring, right? This is precisely the point: I would like us to try and see ourselves in this way, as an Italy that can be daring; not necessarily as people who must diligently tread a path that has been opened by others, but rather people capable of paving the way.

I like it when people say “look what Italy has done”. I like it when we are used as an example, not simply when we do things well that others before us have already done, because we are the homeland of genius, we are the homeland of creativity, we are the homeland of those who have always dared. I try to set a good example, in my own small way I will do everything to set a good example, to show that when we have faith... Ambassador Fabrizio Saggio knows this, working with me, that sometimes “well, but it’s difficult” – if that were the case, it would have been impossible for me to become President of the Council of Ministers, but then it happened; if you don’t try then you’ll never know whether you can succeed. I know we are able to succeed and, regarding the work that you do, I want to tell all of you that I believe it always pays to be daring, even if you risk making a mistake, because it is this ability that makes the difference for us and for our nation. We of course need to have humbleness, awareness and determination, we need to study, work hard and have the ability to all row in the same direction, putting the collective interest before partisan interests and putting the things that unite us before the things that divide us, being able to see the good things better than we are usually able to see the bad. 

Everyone also needs to be rewarded for the work they do, and this clearly regards the system: a system in which merit must always count more than friendships, a system able to recognise talent and hard work, and a system that is also able to say thank you.

The work you all do is very unique: when things go badly, there is undoubtedly the tendency for the political leaders to pay the highest price, but when things go well it tends to be the political leaders who benefit the most, and sometimes we also forget to say thank you. I say that being aware that I am that kind of political leader, in the sense that those who work with me know (and I’m using Enzo Celeste’s words here) that I am much better at making myself heard when things aren’t working as they should be rather than when they are going well. In my defence, I’m much stricter with myself than I am with others, but this is nevertheless wrong.

So, I am also here to say thank you, to say thank you for all the times that perhaps you haven’t heard those words, to say thank you for all the times that things perhaps didn’t go as you would have liked, but you nevertheless tried your best, not giving up and continuing to believe, to take a chance, to work hard. My sincere thanks, because this is very valuable to us.

That said, things may not often go as we would like, but others do and we are doing positive things. We have just come out of a difficult and important European Council meeting, actually a series of important European Council meetings. We can say that we are satisfied with the results we have achieved. Despite the difficulties we are all aware of, we have guaranteed the necessary support for Ukraine. We have made significant progress with regard to the so-called enlargement of the European Union. 

As you know, I prefer to call it reunification, as I have never believed Europe is like a club where some can decide who is European and who isn’t; I think it was history and geography that decided that. What we have to do is simply help with its targets, goals and conditions and ensure a more balanced situation, hence why I like to call it unification. We also made important progress at this European Council meeting, with the opening of negotiations for Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Minister Tajani mentioned, Italy played a leading role in this initiative which is why we are so satisfied.

During the last European Council meetings, we also initiated the review of the multiannual financial framework, with important resources not only for Ukraine but also for competitiveness and migration, particularly the external dimension of migration. This result was not a given.

With regard to migration, we have achieved many important results over the last months, again with a pragmatic and responsible approach in relation to which we have gradually and increasingly got our partners to listen to us: this strategy no longer focuses on how to distribute illegal migrants within Europe’s borders who enter via trafficking networks, but rather focuses on the external dimension and addressing the root cause of the migration problem by working with the countries of origin and of transit, declaring war on the human traffickers and designing a new cooperation and development model with African countries in relation to which we are trying to lead the way also for our partners through the Mattei Plan, with the launch of the Memoranda that we pushed for the European Union to sign first with Tunisia and then with Egypt.

Our model is based on cooperation among equals, cooperation that is not predatory nor charity-like in nature. The approach is not to provide help but rather to grow together, which is something different; this is not about aid but rather investment, and I think this is key for long-term strategic collaboration between Europe and the African continent. This different approach was acknowledged by very many African leaders who came to Rome for the Italia-Africa summit, an initiative organised by the Italian Government in January that saw an unprecedented level of attendance for an event of its kind. This is a great sign of Italy being given credit, a great show of trust, and we must make sure we do not betray that trust.

Our goal is to put Italy back, on a political level, where our Lord already positioned us in geographical terms: a platform in the middle of the Mediterranean, a bridge between the European continent and the African continent. We have done this with Europe, we have done this with Africa and we have done this in our discussions within the Atlantic Alliance; we will do this as part of the Italian Presidency of the G7 during this very challenging year, because strategies clearly need continuity; Italy needs clear strategies and, as has been seen, when we have clear strategies it is possible that other partners will follow us on those strategies.

We cannot hide the fact that it has not been easy, and it probably won’t be in the future, but it is a fact that in all international fora today, when there are discussions about Africa, development, migration, the Mediterranean, everyone listens to Italy’s position.

During this European Council meeting, we asked for agriculture to be a topic of discussion, and this was indeed included, representing another important result that we have achieved today.

Agriculture is clearly not just a key sector for our production system and economic fabric, but is also one of the hallmarks of our identity, of what it means to be Italian, of what it means to be European. Today we are clearly facing a systemic crisis that a forum such as the European Council simply must discuss in the search for concrete solutions. These are problems that Europe’s founding fathers themselves had imagined, and they were fully aware of them when they built the European Economic Community and thought up the common agricultural policy.

Today, we need to adapt that common agricultural policy: the goals remain the same but the instruments need to be adapted to the ever-changing context. In the current situation, production prices keep rising, purchase costs keep falling and we cannot further burden our famers also with unsustainable rules and unsustainable bureaucracy. We simply have to take into consideration the fact that the agri-food supply chain is a crucial strategic supply chain for our sovereignty.

The European Commission’s latest proposal, which the European Council meeting discussed with regard to revising the common agricultural policy, goes in the right direction, of course thanks also to your work, to our joint work. Many of Italy’s proposals are there. Something new that I have come out of the European Council meeting with: for us it was very important indeed for the conclusions of the European Council meeting to make reference to the ability to extend the State aid framework for agriculture until the end of the year. The European Council meeting conclusions also make an important reference to this. This is clearly an initiative we must continue to work on to ensure it is also addressed at the next European Council meeting. The European Commission has been asked to carry out an assessment and to present it at April’s Council meeting, and so we will undoubtedly be working on this over the coming weeks.

The point is basically this: when we work together as part of a system, when we all work together in the same direction, I don’t think there is anything we cannot try and do. I would like to say this also here: this can be seen through the result we achieved regarding the packaging and packaging waste directive. I mentioned this before Parliament and want to do so today with you: I want to say once again how proud I am about the great work that in this case was done by Italy’s entire economic system. We saw the government, officials, trade associations, parties in Italy’s governing majority and its opposition parties all work towards the same goal. We achieved that goal and thus managed to safeguard one of our circular economy models par excellence, developed over the years thanks to the extraordinary contribution of so many of our companies and Italian citizens. I think all Italians should know what great teamwork we managed to do in order to achieve this goal, as is always the case when Italy tries to pull together towards an objective. I think this is a positive example and I think we should use it as a reference also for the future, for many other challenges that lie ahead.

Likewise, I also wish to thank everyone for the great work that has been done on the NRRP [National Recovery and Resilience Plan]. As of today, despite all the difficulties involved with having the largest NRRP out of all EU countries, I believe we can be proud that we have the largest NRRP out of all EU countries and that the European Commission says we are the nation that is implementing their plan the quickest. In 2023, we completed the objectives for the third instalment, received payment for the third instalment, completed the objectives for the fourth instalment and received payment for the fourth instalment; we are the first nation in Europe to have submitted its completion of objectives for the fifth instalment. In addition to all this, we have also revised the NRRP and included the [REPowerEU] chapter, freeing up significant resources in order to dedicate them to numerous priorities.
We did not do this work alone; we did this work thanks to the fundamental and decisive contribution of all officials who helped us with this issue, which was far from easy. 

This was a quick look at just some of the results we should be proud of. However, Italy’s ability to make an impact and to thus also help Europe to improve and become more balanced and more attentive to the needs of the citizens it represents, to address the many complex challenges of our time, depends above all on your capabilities, on your dedication, on your expertise. For us, having so many Italian officials here in Brussels, working at European institutions and inside NATO, does not simply mean filling positions; it means playing a leading role in processes and dynamics, it means contributing Italy’s point of view, which is not just political but also cultural and geographical too, and that point of view is fundamental.

Italy is a great nation that is able to produce people of the highest level, people who make their mark in top positions at international level, which is why I also want to say that the Government also pays attention to your careers. We don’t do this because we are driven by some bizarre notion of conquest, but rather because we are convinced that a strong Italian presence is in Europe’s interests even more so than it is in Italy’s interests.

I therefore wish to thank Minister Tajani, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representations of Italy to the European Union and to NATO for the care they take over this matter every day. Thanks also to the Embassy for the daily work to support Italy’s presence here in Belgium, a relatively small yet crucial nation for our continent’s policies and economy.

We must strive for more, also in this regard; we have clear margins for growth when it comes to top positions, especially within the Commission. You are of course independent from governments, and that is a good thing but, as I was saying, it is in the interest of Europe and of the Atlantic Alliance and it is in the interest of Italy to be able to count on highly skilled, highly professional officials from a major European and western nation, a founding nation of the European Union and NATO, who are driven by a strong sense of loyalty and belonging to the institution and the organisation they serve, and to Italy.

So, in the hope that this event will become a regular engagement, but also in the hope that we will have other opportunities like this one to meet, I wish to greet you all with a ‘see you again’. Know that myself, the Italian Government, our representatives and the Embassy stand by your side in helping Italy to be increasingly authoritative, increasingly credible and increasingly able, in tempestuous times, to weather the storm with its head held high.
My sincere thanks. See you soon.

[Courtesy translation]