Italy focuses on strategic partnership in Africa during G7 Presidency
As Italy holds the rotating Presidency of the Group of Seven (G7), the country has shifted its focus to establishing strategic partnerships with Africa. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italy is moving away from a model of only providing aid, choosing instead to foster regional economies and improve living standards in Africa. This approach aims to reduce migration pressure on Europe and strategically address Italy’s labor shortage.
Matei Plan: A new approach
The Mattei Plan, named after Enrico Mattei of the Eni oil and gas company, is more than an energy deal. The plan, which will be detailed at the upcoming Rome conference, includes specific projects aimed at meeting Africa’s vast development needs. These include infrastructure, energy, health and education. Both public and private funding is considered essential to meeting these demands.
Addressing migration and labor shortages
Italy, facing a large influx of migrants from Africa, considers the Mattei plan to be a viable solution to controlling illegal immigration. At the same time, it will also address the domestic labor shortage. The Italian government is focused on fighting illegal immigration, but remains open to controlled immigration to offset the demographic challenges posed by an aging and shrinking population.
Moving towards a fair relationship
Africa analyst Maddalena Procopio noted that Italy’s goal is to establish an equitable strategic relationship with Africa and move beyond aid dependence towards economic partnership. However, Professor Nicholas Westcott of the School of Oriental and African Studies said that while the initiative was promising, the European Union (EU), which has previously committed to providing significant funding for investment in Africa, needed to increase its effectiveness in this area. I warned you that there is. Mr Westcott also stressed that Africa needs investment to address the effects of climate change and that this area needs to be considered by the EU in its Africa strategy.