Despite the coronavirus crisis, Emmanuel Macron is expected Thursday, February 26 in Naples for a Franco-Italian summit which must act " the revival " of bilateral relations, strongly shaken in the last two years by the arrival of a populist government in Rome.
Scheduled for a long time, this summit was maintained by the Italian authorities even if the peninsula is the European country most affected by the epidemic of viral pneumonia.
" It is important to be present " alongside the Italians " in this difficult context ," said the Élysée.
Emmanuel Macron will be accompanied by eleven ministers for this 35th Franco-Italian summit, which will be held Thursday afternoon at the Royal Palace in Naples in the presence of the President of the Italian Council Giuseppe Conte and twelve members of his government.
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For Paris, like Rome, it is a question of " relaunching a deep bilateral relationship of trust ", explains the French presidency.
A year ago, the climate was stormy between the two capitals, engaged in a war of words which had continued to swell after the formation of a populist government led by the 5-star movement and the League.
The crisis culminated in early 2019 when the Vice-President of the Italian Council, Luigi Di Maio, met in France with a leader of the " yellow vests ". Shortly before, the Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini had called for the resignation of the French president.
To protest, Paris had temporarily recalled its ambassador to Italy, the most serious transalpine diplomatic crisis since 1945.
Relations have gradually normalized since the departure in the summer of 2019 of the League of Matteo Salvini and the advent of a new Conte coalition government between the 5 stars and the center-left Democratic Party.
" No stigma "
" We have gone through a period of crisis " but it has " left no scars " and " cooperation is good today ", said one at the Elysee Palace. By stressing that Paris and Rome were now " aligned " on many issues, especially European, including that of migrants, on which tensions had crystallized.
Symbol of this new agreement, the two capitals want to relaunch the Quirinal Treaty (name of the seat of the Italian presidency), announced in 2017 to give " a more stable and ambitious framework " to Franco-Italian cooperation, along the lines of the treaty Franco-German.
The major bilateral economic issues will also be discussed: the Naviris joint venture, created by the Italian Fincantieri and the French Naval Group; the future PSA-Fiat alliance; the Lyon-Turin railway line, work on which has started ...
Discussions will also focus on the situation in Libya, an issue where differences have subsided, and in the Sahel, France hoping that Italy will become more involved in the fight against jihadist groups.
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Before the summit, Emmanuel Macron will make a cultural escapade in the historic center of Naples. " It is a very special city, which is dear to me ," he said in an interview with Rai Uno in March 2019.
After having visited the Sansevero chapel, he will go with the mayor Luigi de Magistris to the San Ferdinando theater, associated with the memory of the playwright Eduardo de Filippo, author of the play " The Art of Comedy ".
In an interview with Elle in 2017, Brigitte Macron said that it was " by working " on this piece that the romantic relationship was formed between her, then theater teacher in Amiens, and the high school student that was Emmanuel Macron .
After a gala dinner with President Sergio Mattarella, the summit will end with a concert of Neapolitan songs at the San Carlo theater, whose new director is French Stéphane Lissner, ex-patron of the Paris Opera.