Giorgia Meloni did not attend the EU-Western Balkans summit today, 5 June 2026, in Tivat, Montenegro. The Prime Minister was expected at the session of the Heads of State and Government, but the Prime Minister’s withdrawal arrived at the last moment. Also today, Meloni was in fact in Reggio Calabria, at the celebratory ceremony for the 212th anniversary of the foundation of the Carabinieri and among the reasons there could be an unscheduled visit for the presentation of a commemorative stamp.
Why Meloni missed the Tivat summit and what do stamps have to do with it
According to the reconstruction of Corriere della Sera, the prime minister left Calabria in the early afternoon, but the state plane headed towards Rome and not towards Montenegro. Meloni then personally informed the Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic and the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, expressing regret for the impossibility of reaching the meeting in time.
Officially, the forfeit was motivated by the continuation of the ceremony on the Falcomatà seafront in Reggio Calabria, which started late and ended around 1pm. With her, also the new General Commander, Salvatore Luongo, the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and the Chief of Defense Staff, General Luciano Portolano.
In reality, after the ceremony he also participated in the presentation of a commemorative stamp in the Prefecture, an appointment not indicated in Meloni’s public agenda published on the Palazzo Chigi website. Then the official note explains: “After the conclusion of the Arab Army celebration for the 212th anniversary of the foundation of the corps, she went to the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria for the philatelic cancellation of a stamp celebrating the anniversary. The visit was not in the original program of Palazzo Chigi”.
What was talked about at the Tivat summit
The leaders of the European Union and the six partners of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – met in Tivat, six months after the previous summit in Brussels, to reiterate the prospect of the countries of the region joining the EU.
Montenegro, the host country, is considered the most advanced candidate and aims to join the EU by 2028, an ambitious and not obvious goal. Albania and Montenegro are the two most advanced dossiers while the situation of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Macedonia is more complex, between internal reforms, bilateral tensions, institutional issues and different degrees of alignment with European foreign policy.
Among others, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Ursula von der Leyen were expected in Tivat. Meloni won’t be there.
Bonelli: “Meloni like mom I missed the plane”
For Angelo Bonelli, AVS MP and co-spokesperson for Green Europe, the story of Meloni’s withdrawal from the European summit is reminiscent of “Mother I missed my plane or rather Europe I missed my plane. It’s not just the well-known Christmas film, but it now seems to have become the agenda of President Meloni’s foreign policy”. ”It’s not a protocol gaffe: it’s a political fact – says Bonelli – Meloni talks about patriotism every day, but the government is not present at the tables where European balances and Italy’s role are decided. This is the sovereignist right: lots of propaganda, little presence where national interests really matter.”
Piero De Luca, leader of the Democratic Party in the European Affairs Committee of the Chamber, asks: “A mix-up of agenda and diplomatic incident or escape from the summit, as a precise political choice? The suspicion is well-founded. Meloni leads a majority crossed by deep fractures on foreign policy: Salvini still courts Moscow, Tajani seeks Atlanticist support, and Meloni oscillates between sovereignism and ambiguity of convenience. Presenting oneself at a table where support for Ukraine, entry into the EU, a common front with Paris is being discussed and Berlin, meant having to choose and choosing, for this majority, is dangerous.”
“We present the stamps, the others do the facts – says Senator Enrico Borghi, vice president of Italia Viva – Meloni deserts the Tivat summit at the last minute. And Italy is increasingly isolated and irrelevant. While European leaders are dealing with the future of the European Union and the war in Ukraine, our prime minister lingers in Reggio Calabria. It was already embarrassing to arrive at the summit at the last moment, which has been underway since yesterday. Not showing up at all proves total ignorance. After skipping the table on Russia and Ukraine, today – adds Borghi – there will be a meeting between the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, and Volodymyr Zelensky?
