Drones, missile defense, naval ships: Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Meloni are pushing forward their cooperation on armaments projects.
dpa/afp | Germany and Italy want to significantly expand their cooperation in the areas of defense and economic competitiveness. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed an agreement at government consultations in Rome that provides for more armaments projects and military exercises by both armed forces.
Among other things, joint projects in the production of drones, air and missile defense, naval ships and underwater systems as well as electronic warfare and air combat systems will be examined. A new version of an action plan agreed in 2023 was also signed. This includes cooperation in the areas of internal security, migration and cultural heritage.
The expansion of German-Italian relations comes at a time when things are not going well between Germany and France – especially in the armaments sector. The planned collaboration between Berlin and Paris for an air combat system FCAS is on the brink. In terms of trade policy, France had made a difference at the conclusion an EU agreement with the Latin American Mercosur states placed across. Italy, however, cleared the way after some hesitation.
With a view to a special EU summit on economic competitiveness on February 12th, Germany and Italy had already taken the initiative and drawn up proposals to deepen the EU internal market with its around 450 million consumers, shorten approval procedures and delete legal provisions. In the past, such initiatives often came from Germany and France as the “motor” of the EU.
Political rapprochement
Italy under the right-wing Prime Minister Meloni and Germany under CDU Chancellor Merz had become considerably closer politically in the past few months. Among other things, both governments were recently on the same line when it came to successfully reversing the EU-wide ban on new registrations of combustion engines cars from 2035.
In the run-up to the government consultations, Merz called for a German-Italian friendship treaty analogous to the Aachen Treaty between France and Germany in an interview with politically close chairwoman of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber (CSU).
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