Pope to visit Marseille in a bid for a welcoming Mediterranean
Pope Francis will arrive in Marseille this afternoon, where he is scheduled to repeat the message of tolerance and welcoming refugees.
The religious leader is scheduled to hold an interfaith prayer at a monument dedicated to those who died at sea, the AP reported.
The pope’s office said before the trip that Francis would pray with members of organizations “dedicated to the pastoral care of seafarers, migrants, and refugees”.
On Saturday, he will meet with bishops and young people from North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe, and will also hold a private session with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron.
Main events
Angela Giuffrida
Giorgia Meloniwho initially described herself as an “underdog” who fought against the odds to become Italy’s first female prime minister, became one of the most powerful politicians in Europe.
Ask many Italians what they think of him today, and there will be no references to his past ties to neofascism or his hostility to immigrants, LGBTQ+ people or anyone else who has harmed himself. expressed a Christian, patriotic vision of Italy.
“He softened over time,” said Matilde Palazzo, a small business owner in Rome. “Yes, he was surrounded by some questionable characters but people noticed something else – after years of useless governments they saw some stability. I even had a leftwing customers who say to me: ‘All in all, I really like him.'”
However, while his popularity has transcended the boundaries of his far-right base, Meloni’s apparent metamorphosis has not been clear, leaving many struggling to decipher who he really is.
Meloni has set a confident, pragmatic tone to the rest of Europe and beyond. He is unwavering in his support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as an advocate of big deals in Africa, be it energy or, more controversially, immigration.
The prime minister “plays moderate but winks at the moderates,” said Alessandra Laterza, the owner of Le Torri, a bookstore in Tor Bella Monaca, a poor district outside Rome.
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Pope to visit Marseille in a bid for a welcoming Mediterranean
Pope Francis will arrive in Marseille this afternoon, where he is scheduled to repeat the message of tolerance and welcoming refugees.
The religious leader is scheduled to hold an interfaith prayer at a monument dedicated to those who died at sea, the AP reported.
The pope’s office said before the trip that Francis would pray with members of organizations “dedicated to the pastoral care of seafarers, migrants, and refugees”.
On Saturday, he will meet with bishops and young people from North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe, and will also hold a private session with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron.
Good morning and welcome back to the Guardian’s Europe live blog.
Today we look at the latest news and debates about immigration.
All eyes are now on Italy, where more than 127,000 people have arrived so far this year – more than double the number for the same period last year.
Speaking at the United Nations general assembly this week, Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said the large number of arrivals on the island of Lampedusa was putting Italy “under incredible pressure” and that she would not allow the country that will become “Europe’s”. refugee camp”.
Last week, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Lampedusa and unveiled a 10-point plan to help Italy cope – including the implementation of a controversial agreement with Tunisia.
And with elections scheduled in Slovakia, Poland and the Netherlands this fall — and European parliament elections coming up in June — many politicians are increasingly looking at migration from a campaign lens.
Send comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
