Premier Matteo Renzi on Wednesday
declared war on people traffickers after last weekend's sea
disaster in which over 800 migrants travelling from Libya to
Italy are feared dead after their boat capsized.
"We have to be aware that we are fighting a war against
human traffickers," Renzi told the Senate as he reported to
parliament on the eve of the extraordinary European Union summit
he requested in the wake of the mass drownings in the Strait of
Sicily.
"There is no historical experience comparable to this trade
in human flesh, apart from slavery," he said.
Previously Renzi told the Lower House that he was confident
the European Union will do more to tackle the Mediterranean
migrant crisis in the wake of the disaster.
"I'm confident that the EU can change pace and not just be
the EU when it's time to do the budget," Renzi said.
"I hope the summit is not just a learned club of experts
who...forget to respond to suffering".
Rome has repeatedly bemoaned an alleged lack of assistance
from the rest of the EU in dealing with the massive wave of
migrant arrivals, which has increased sharply this year.
Renzi also accused some opposition groups of political
"looting" by cynically profiting from last weekend's sea
disaster.
"When I hear people saying on TV that 'we must discourage
them from embarking', they know that you don't achieve that with
talk show chat but by (working with) the UN High Commission in
Sudan and Niger and by avoiding demagogy...it's simplistic to
say (send) everyone home or to say let's receive everyone".
"I think, and I believe parliament is aware, that a broader
strategy is needed".
The premier's words were echoed by former president of the
Republic and life Senator Giorgio Napolitano, who berated EU
inaction and called for a unified response.
Governments "must have the courage to tell the truth...I
hope the Italian government will also find the courage to tell
Italians the truth," he said.
Napolitano added that Thursday's emergency European summit
should have been held much sooner.
"I hope (the premier) will expend maximum energy so that
the summit reaches conclusions worthy of" the magnitude of the
migrant emergency, he said.
"We are...deeply disconcerted" at the delayed reaction of
the EU, and "joint policies are the only possible response,"
Napolitano said.
"We cannot resign ourselves to dealing on our own with this
emergency, which is sweeping over us in such a dramatic and
sorrowful way," he said.
In the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, Napolitano's
successor Sergio Mattarella joined in the chorus.
Italy is "counting on significant initiatives" from
Thursday's emergency EU summit, he said.
The EU must "put an end to this ignoble traffic...carried
out by indecent merchants in human beings", he added.
The EU must stop traffickers and "be more active" in
migrants' countries of origin, he said.
As well, Mattarella urged the EU to address the "dramatic
situation" in Libya because the "ongoing chaos is allowing ever
more terrorists to install themselves there".
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