Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Thursday that Italy will not accept proposals that do not satisfy its demands for a sea change in the EU's approach to migration. Rome is unhappy about a draft document on European rules on asylum ahead of an informal meeting of eight countries in Brussels on Sunday in view of next week's European Council summit.
"(Premier Giuseppe) Conte will go to Brussels. Either there is a useful proposal, including one that defends refugees, and these rules change, or we'll say No," Salvini, who is also deputy premier and League leader, told State broadcaster RAI. "He has my total support to discuss something that is useful to our security". Salvini had previously suggested Conte might snub Sunday's meeting after the draft put great stress on the stopping secondary movements of migrants within the EU and speeding procedures to send them back to the State where they first arrived - which is frequently Italy.
Conte told European Council President Donald Tusk in Rome on Wednesday that it was unthinkable for Italy to also have to take migrants that have made secondary movements, given that it already is widely recognised as being the country most exposed to primary migrant flows.
"I told him in advance that I am not willing to discuss secondary movements at the Brussels pre-summit without first having addressed the emergency of the primary movements that Italy is tackling alone," Conte said via Twitter.
Salvini on Thursday suggested Italy could demand a re-negotiation of its European Union contribution if it does not get satisfactory responses from the bloc on addressing migration. "I'm optimistic about reaching a satisfactory agreement," Salvini told RAI.
"Everyone agrees about the protection of the external borders.
"We'll see whether, after years of chatter, we move to deeds.
"We cannot pay six billion euros a year to the EU and get a poke in the eye in return.
"I would not want to be forced to renegotiate this contribution".
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