Meloni, the ‘socialist’. She’s still teaming up with Frederiksen: ‘It’s either me or the far right’. The PD is in turmoil

Even the Little Mermaid has moved to the right. Denmark stands with Italy; the socialist Mette Frederiksen has co-authored a letter with Meloni, whilst the EPP president, Weber, is proposing to set up repatriation hubs in Africa. Either Vannacci’s ‘palm tree line’ has gained ground, or the Italian left will be forced to hold primaries between Frederiksen and Sánchez. The dispute over migrants seems to be shaping the PD’s direction, whilst Meloni is adopting a socialist stance. Following in the footsteps of Edi Rama, another figure from the European left – the Danish Prime Minister – is aligning herself with the Italian position. She does so via a joint statement addressed to Europe, posted on social media in tandem, because “we do not accept uncontrolled immigration into Europe, and we have promoted a rigorous migration policy, both in our own countries and across Europe”. Together, they propose to build and establish “repatriation centres in third countries, as well as other innovative solutions outside Europe. We are working hard on this”. From today, within the broader political spectrum, can one still say, following this message from Frederiksen, that Meloni’s plan on migrants is a ‘MAGA’ project? And when Schlein praises Sánchez’s 48,000 turnbacks in just a few hours, is she aware that these are extreme measures, carried out without any verification of the right to asylum – that rule of law which still prevails in Italy? It is said that Meloni is stating: “On the one hand, there is my model – a European model – for tackling immigration; on the other, there is what the far right is proposing.” In a few days’ time, on 15 August, Piantedosi will release the crime figures for Italy, and we already know that in some cities there are spikes in violence, 60 per cent of which is committed by undocumented migrants. On Thursday, Piantedosi will be heard by the Schengen Committee chaired by Delrio. Beware: amid the instability in Morocco, there is a sinister suspicion that Trump is using that route to harm Europe.

It is not just the dregs of the world knocking on Europe’s door; in Ceuta, there is a sign of malice, the hand of the American boor. Meloni’s thinking is very simple: either do it the Italian way, or the Danish way, or else the AfD and Vannacci’s paratroopers will soon arrive, following the model of the cotton fields. Previously, there was only the joint letter written by Meloni and Frederiksen, addressed to the 22 countries, but now there is a convergence of interests. Meloni’s approach has changed. She wants to dismantle the socialist family, separating the pragmatic Danish model from the Spanish one. Whose side is the PD on? Tajani is said to have spoken with Weber and the CDU to mend the rift with Germany over the Dublin cases (which Italy is expected to take on); the EU Commissioner for Migration, Brunner, is acting as a bridge-builder during this August of closed doors. Tajani’s interview with "El Mundo" – which had caused such a stir, the one in which Tajani criticised the Spanish model – was a wake-up call. For months, Italy had been concerned about the situation in Morocco. The rest is domestic propaganda.

The Meloni–Frederiksen post has repercussions for the Italian left. The Danish Prime Minister attends PES meetings and, unlike Edi Rama, is not an outcast socialist. The PD remains silent because it has chosen to defend Sánchez, but that very model is now backfiring. The Ceuta crisis is paving the way for Vox, highlighting the vulnerability of Iberian political acumen. Who stands to gain? There is a political level, one of populism, and then there is the level of the servants. The Spanish and Italian interior ministers, despite the controversy, maintain civil relations, and so far Piantedosi has decided to uphold them. Yesterday, in the FdI chat group, an article from La Verità was shared about the CPRs that Spain is said to have in Mauritania. Meloni’s true enemy is not Sánchez, but the right-wing that she sees to her right – an anti-Semitic and xenophobic right. Meloni often repeats: “Irregular immigration is not a right-wing issue but a matter of civilisation”, and she is emphasising that Sánchez’s recent transfers are not repatriations – and therefore lack the necessary safeguards – but “refoulements”. To put it plainly, it is Salvini’s old model, which cost him the trial in Palermo. If Meloni is seeking out the left in the north, in Copenhagen, it is solely to warn the Italian left. Meloni proposes Albania, but with Vannacci, Vox and AfD, the solution will be ‘prison and the whip’. The word Vannacci has been using of late is ‘round-up’. Meloni has found another Edi Rama at the Polo; the left is losing even the Little Mermaid.