Germany and Italy agreed to deepen their cooperation in a series of new, jointly signed agreements. At a joint press conference in Rome on Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni introduced a German‑Italian action plan they had drafted together in recent weeks. The plan aims to raise competitiveness, create a new bilateral dynamic in the defence industry, and shape a more decisive migration policy.
The two leaders signed an accord that will deepen collaboration in defence manufacturing and harmonise military procurement, while also promising to work more closely on internal‑security matters. Merz highlighted that Germany and Italy already coordinate closely on European migration policy and that this partnership was essential in pushing through the reform of the EU asylum system in Brussels. The agreement also covers a bilateral police agreement, cooperation in confidential‑services security, and a cultural route that traces Goethe’s path through Italy.
Meloni thanked Merz for joining an informal working group of “like‑minded countries” on migration. She noted that the return of refugees and the defence of EU external borders against smuggling remain major challenges.
When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s Greenland demands, the German chancellor praised Italy’s new Arctic strategy, saying it largely aligns with Germany’s own approach. He stated that Denmark and Greenland can rely on European solidarity and that, grounded in sovereignty and territorial integrity, Europe should support dialogue between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. He added that in the new era of great powers, Europe must remain firm and sovereign together.
Both Merz and Meloni urged the European Commission to issue new directives for cross‑border mergers, arguing that allowing such mergers within the EU would create globally competitive companies. They criticised the current EU merger control for being overly focused on a too‑small market and called for relaxed bank capital requirements.
Meloni announced that at the next EU summit she will present a proposal to cut bureaucracy, strengthen the single market, and revitalize the automotive industry under a “technology‑neutrality” banner. She claimed that a particular ideological slant of the Green Deal has crippled European industries without delivering meaningful gains for global environmental protection.