Mercosur reshapes Italy’s alliances in Europe: PD with FdI and FI, League with M5S

Brussels – Trade, domestic policy and European action, strategies, and alliances: Mercosur and the free trade agreement between the European Union and Countries in the area (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) are causing a distinctly Italian political short circuit, with the governing coalition fracturing as government parties draw closer to parts of the opposition parties and vice versa. The proposed trade agreement, in its updated and revised version, did not prevent the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, from facing a new vote of no confidence, promoted by the European parliamentary group to which Matteo Salvini’s League belongs. These choices and moves shift the political debate from the European to the national level. 

“How is it possible that the League is proposing this censure motion when the government of which it is part approves the Mercosur agreement in Italy and in the Council?” attacks the head of the Five Star Movement delegation, Pasquale Tridico, announcing however that he will vote against the EU executive because the Five Star Movement simply cannot accept the free trade agreement with South American countries. “We cannot back down on Mercosur,” he explains. “With this agreement, our products will be competing with products that do not comply with environmental and social clauses. This agreement devalues the work of our farmers.” The bottom line: “We have always voted against it and will continue to do so whenever there are valid reasons.” That is why the Five Star Movement will support the motion of no confidence, also sponsored by the League. A convergence that revives the yellow-green alliance that formed the basis of the first Conte government. 

Stefano Cavedagna (FdI/ECR) responds to the provocations launched by the Five Star Movement against the League: “Today’s agreement is not the same as two months ago, and that is why Italy has said ‘yes’,” the representative from Fratelli d’Italia cuts short. It is a way to silence opposition’s criticism and to quell discontent among the League’s allies in government. He defends Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s actions and reiterates that the guarantees are now in place to move forward. Salvatore De Meo (Forza Italia) is also convinced of this and praises the work done at the EU level: “Parliament listened to farmers by including safeguard clauses,” he emphasises, recalling the European Parliament’s vote on guarantee mechanisms. 

However, the head of the League delegation in the European Parliament, Paolo Borchia, does not see it the same way and insists: “Let’s start from the assumption that when large groups such as farmers take to the streets, this mobilisation cannot be ignored.” After all, the reason behind the motion of censure against von der Leyen is precisely the agreement with the Mercosur countries. 

For PD MEP Matteo Ricci and the Democratic Party, Mercosur is “a great opportunity for the European Union”, and the delegation supports the agreement’s text, rejecting the motion of censure against von der Leyen. This creates a convergence between the PD, FI, and FdI, which also enjoys the support of the Green-Left Alliance, at least as far as the motion of censure is concerned. The AVS will not support it, says Leoluca Orlando, but on Mercosur, “we are not satisfied, we are asking for the intervention of the Court of Justice of the EU.