The traditional festival of Fratelli d’Italia (FDI), Atregiu, will be held from December 6th to 14th in the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo and will feature the following themes: “You’ve become stronger, Italy with pride.”
The event aims to reflect on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s more than two years in power and will be held in the capital in conjunction with the European Conservative and Reform Party (ECR) Study Days, which aim to discuss common priorities and future political scenarios.
Among the guests who visited Atreju on Friday was Nicola Procaccini, Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s ECR Group and Director of the FDI Environment Department.
A new direction for European conservatives
In a climate panel titled “Climate Change Beyond Ideology”, Procaccini spoke to Euronews about the political weight of Italy’s experience within the European Conservative Front, explaining that a more pragmatic orientation rooted in traditional values is emerging in Europe.
“We believe this is a new and more realistic approach,” Procaccini explains. “It’s more balanced, not just on the Green Deal, but on many other issues. What I think about immigration is certainly immigration governance, the ability to differentiate between illegal immigration and legal immigration.”
“I think there are some values that are coming back into existence, such as the need to protect the family in order to restore the culture, the Christian religious tradition. I believe that conservative sentiment can slowly spread and bring us back to the ideals on which the European Union was founded.”
“The EU remains important to the United States.”
Commenting on the United States’ recent comments on the European Union, Procaccini does not speak of the tone to be “interpreted” but offers a political interpretation of what is happening.
However, he acknowledged US criticism of the “loss of European identity” associated with both the demographic crisis and migration flows.
“If we stick to the document and not to the more or less false narratives that have been created, we discover a critique of the European Union that we share regarding its apparent loss of identity due to both the demographic crisis and mass immigration, and then we also discover a call for Europe to return to its original self, which we also share.”
Procaccini, on the other hand, elaborates on the passages he considers the most important.
“Culturally and strategically, the European Union remains important to the United States. Both sides of the West have a common past and a common future.”
Palestine’s absence is the main cause of regional instability
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also spoke from the stage at Atrej, reiterating the need for a political solution to the Palestinian crisis.
“The only way to ensure stability in the region is a two-state solution with mutual respect, with Palestine alongside Israel on the 1967 borders,” he said.
The absence of a Palestinian state remains one of the main causes of instability across the region, he added.
Conclusion of the European Conservative Debate with Giorgia Meloni
Friday’s festival featured many speakers on panels and keynote speeches, and concluded at 9pm local time.
The program included speeches by key figures such as Kemi Badenoch, Marion Marechal, Hilla Gamliel, Adam Bielan, George Simion, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and Christopher Storm.
The annual event is scheduled to close at midday on Sunday after Giorgia Meloni, together with her deputy Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, will give a speech assessing the political situation and setting out the future priorities of the majority government.
