Italy brings German, French heads to EU symbolic birthplace

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, left, welcomes French President Francois Hollande at Naples’ Capodichino worldwide airport, Monday, Aug. 22, 2016.

Italy, the main entry point for Africans but rarely their planned destination, is struggling to house migrants turned back from neighbouring countries including France, and disagrees with Germany over how to finance the response. Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, left, welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Naples’ Capodichino worldwide airport, Monday, Aug. 22, 2016. France, for its part, wants greater EU integration and Hollande is a strong proponent of joining European defense efforts as Italy wants.

Merkel recalled that the EU had been born from some of the “darkest moments” of European history but added that in the face of “enormous challenges” it must now work together, strengthening internal and external borders, boosting economic growth and providing jobs for its young people. “Defense cooperation. should be strengthened and the exchanges between our intelligence services must be intensified”, she said. “We want more coordination in the fight against terrorism”.

“In light of Islamic terrorism and the civil war in Syria, we have to do more to ensure our security”.

Hollande said the United Kingdom referendum in June to leave the European Union is spurring uncertainty that requires a response by European Union leaders, including measures that feed through to people’s everyday lives, including more jobs for young people.

In another symbolic move, the leaders will hold a working dinner and press conference on Italy’s Garibaldi aircraft carrier, the flagship of the EU’s “Sophia” mission against people trafficking in the Mediterranean.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi says Europe wants to “write a future chapter” after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union focusing on common defense, security and economic growth especially addressing youth unemployment.

Renzi, Merkel and Hollande all voiced support for improved internal and external defense measures, including better intelligence-sharing and beefed-up border defenses, following a spate of Islamic extremist attacks in France that have rattled Europeans’ sense of security.

Francois Hollande is meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Italian aircraft carrier Garibaldi, which is now playing a critical role in Europe’s migrant rescue efforts.

Spinelli was confined to Ventotene in the 1940s by Italy’s fascist rulers.

Described generously by the AP as “a symbolic bid to relaunch the European project following Britain’s decision to leave the EU”, it is in truth the desperate act of globalist politicians to pull an increasingly unpopular institution out of its death throes.

Earlier, Renzi Merkel and Hollande visited Spinelli’s tomb on Ventotene. The document, which called for a federation of European states to counter the nationalism that had led Europe to war, inspired European federalism.

The three then head to another symbolic location for the summit: the Italian aircraft carrier Garibaldi, which is coordinating the EU’s migrant rescue operation.