The name Rearm, for the plan presented by Ursula von der Leyen to drastically increase the expenses for defense in Europe, is “unhappy”. As the choice to divert cohesion funds for the purchase of weapons is wrong, while it is positive that is granted flexibility in the stability pact and even more that Germany wants to review the stringent rules of community austerity in the long run. This is the position that Giorgia Meloni brought to the Special European Council in Brussels.
Thus Europe is rearmed: Von der Leyen’s plan is worth 800 billion
As Italian sources explain, the premier believes that calling the EU Rearm plan would be reductive, focusing only on one aspect that, among other things, is the one that most scares citizens, while the dimension of defense and security would be much wider and should also deal with cybersiculia, infrastructure, research and development.
Cohesion is not touched
At the EU summit, the twenty -seven were called to discuss the plan in five points presented by Von der Leyen, which aims to mobilize as many as 800 billion euros in the coming years for the defense. Among the proposed interventions there is also the possibility of diverting part of the funds for cohesion, money usually invested to increase the poorest regions of the blockade, for supporting large companies in the armaments sector. According to the President of the Commission, “supporting the development of a strong and resilient European defense industry will also support Europe’s competitiveness and promote regional development”.
But Palazzo Chigi does not think the same way and the Italian government, the sources still explain, is leading a battle, also coordinating with several other Member States, to avoid a movement of the resources of cohesion towards the rearmament. For this reason Meloni is insisting on the fact that the intervention, at most, must be voluntary, to allow, for example, to the states that are on the border with Russia to consider this possibility. But surely the Italian government does not intend to divert cohesion funds on the purchase of weapons.
Well the flexibility
Italy is instead in favor of the exclusion of defense costs from the calculation of the deficit/GDP ratio for the purposes of the stability pact, a proposal inserted in the plan, and supports the German initiative not to stop here but also to reach an organic revision of the stability pact, an epochal turning point for Berlin, which would actually mark the end of the dogma of austerity that has led the German policy so far.
Germany puts the helmet: “Enough austerity, we must arm yourself against Russia”
Palazzo Chigi also intends to relaunch and support the idea that the reform should not stop at defense subjects, but also understand other sectors that can push competitiveness. A battle, in which it will hardly find the support of Germany and other frugal countries.
