On Monday 20 February, a meeting between Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Prime Minister of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni took place in the evening at the Prime Minister’s Office. The main topics of discussion were bilateral cooperation and within the European Union, the continuation of support for Ukraine and the strengthening of security in Europe.

The challenges facing the single European market were also discussed. The head of the Polish government emphasised that Poland and Italy share many common issues and an identical outlook on the future of the European Union. “We care about a strong Europe of strong states.

After the official ceremonies at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and I popped out for tea to discuss a few additional matters. It turns out that we are both Tolkien fans. We believe that together we will defeat Mordor. We agreed that next time we will go for a real Italian cappuccino together”, the Polish Prime Minister wrote on Facebook.

Mateusz Morawiecki stressed that Poland and Italy similarly feel a responsibility for Europe and its development. ‘We want it to be possible to develop trade, cultivation, animal husbandry without any obstacles, in accordance with the different needs of consumers in the various countries of the community” added the head of the Polish government.

“Together we share democratic and Christian values, we have the same vision of a Europe of strong states, a Europe of Homelands – not some utopian, federalist or de facto centralist visions, centralising power in Europe, somewhere in Brussels”, wrote Morawiecki.

Giorgia Meloni confirmed after the meeting that they have similar visions of what the European Union should be. “We want Europe to be a political giant, not a bureaucratic one”, she declared. Meloni added that Italy and Poland are working for a Europe in which the principle of subsidiarity will apply, “so that Brussels does what Warsaw and Rome cannot do themselves but does not replace them”.

Adrian Andrzejewski