Emmanuel Macron's victory in the presidential election in France was welcomed in Italy as an opportunity to find a strong ally to reform the eurozone according to the interests of Mediterranean Europe. A strong Franco-Italian axis, the government in Rome hoped, would be a formidable force to pressure Germany and its northern European partners to soften the European Union's position on debt and deficit, increase public spending at the continental level, and introduce risk-sharing measures for the financial sector. But though the two countries certainly share a number of common interests, for Italy, Macron's first weeks in office have been a disappointment.
Emmanuel Macron's victory in the presidential election in France was welcomed in Italy as an opportunity to find a strong ally to reform the eurozone according to the interests of Mediterranean Europe. A strong Franco-Italian axis, the government in Rome hoped, would be a formidable force to pressure Germany and its northern European partners to soften the European Union's position on debt and deficit, increase public spending on the Continent, and introduce risk-sharing measures for the financial sector. But though the two countries certainly share a number of common interests, for Italy, Macron's first weeks in office have been a disappointment. The first sign of trouble was the French government's decision to largely ignore Italy's request for help with dealing with migrants reaching Italy through the Mediterranean, most of who depart from Libya.
