Reshaping Italy's future in Africa

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a plan for Africa at the Italy-Africa Summit in Rome on January 29th with a "dual objective" - addressing migration issues and meeting the country's energy needs.

Kế hoạch Mattei: Định hình lại tương lai Italy tại châu Phi

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (center) speaks at the opening ceremony of the Italy-Africa Summit, January 29. (Source: AP)

The International Conference on Africa in Rome is an international event organized by Italy, with the participation of more than 20 African leaders, high-ranking officials from the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), and representatives of international financial institutions.

The conference aimed to announce Italy's plan for the comprehensive development of Africa to international leaders. Through the conference, Prime Minister Meloni expressed his desire to enhance Italy-Africa relations, control illegal migration, and make Italy a hub for energy distribution from Africa to Europe.

Meloni shared that the "destinies" of Europe and Africa are closely intertwined and believes that cooperation can create a better future for both continents.

2024 also marks Italy's chairmanship of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations. Accordingly, the country aims to make African development a central theme to enhance its role and influence in the context of the increasing presence of major powers such as China, the US, Russia, India, and Japan in the region.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC), said that Africa is "ready to discuss the content and implementation" of the plan, but he also stressed that countries want to be consulted before Italy announces the plan.

"We need to turn words into action," Faki said at the summit. "We cannot be satisfied with promises that do not translate into real change."

Mattei Plan

At the conference, far-right party leader Meloni announced he would reshape relations with African nations through the Mattei Plan, adopting a "non-monopoly" approach, rather than a "step-by-step joint development" strategy. The plan's name is inspired by Enrico Mattei, the founder of Italy's state-owned oil company Eni.

According to the Express , since taking office in late 2022, Meloni has made the Mattei Plan a central focus of her foreign policy. Furthermore, this plan represents a new approach to expanding cooperation with Africa not only in energy, but also in other areas such as education, healthcare, water, sanitation, agriculture , and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Italy will begin implementing a series of pilot projects – from modernizing grain production in Egypt to water purification in Ethiopia and training in renewable energy in Morocco. If successful, the country will expand and apply these projects across Africa.

European Commission President Von der Leyen stated that the Mattei Plan is "complementary" to the EU's €150 billion Africa support package in 2022. Therefore, both Italy's and the EU's plans for Africa share a common goal: to promote economic and social development in Africa, as well as to strengthen Europe-Africa relations.

Experts believe that, in addition to developing relations with the African region, Italy also demonstrates a "desire" to find solutions to migration and energy issues.

Win-win cooperation

According to News.com.au , the Mattie Plan is a win-win cooperation model. Under this plan, Italy would invest in energy projects in Africa. In return, African nations would implement measures to control and reduce the number of illegal migrants from Africa to Europe.

Regarding energy , Prime Minister Meloni aims to position Italy as an energy gateway, particularly for the transport of natural gas. This is especially important as European countries seek to reduce their dependence on Russian gas following the outbreak of military conflict in Ukraine.

However, critics argue that the plan seems to focus heavily on the extraction and use of fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. Around 40 civil society organizations in Africa have expressed concern and warned that while the Mattei Plan might help Italy quench its energy thirst, it is also dangerous and could easily disregard existing environmental commitments.

Speaking to AFP , Francesco Sassi, a geopolitics and energy market researcher at RIE, criticized Meloni's approach as "short-sighted" and "overly simplistic" in dealing with energy insecurity.

Furthermore, while acknowledging that energy is a crucial aspect of the Mattei Plan, analysts believe that Meloni's primary motivation is the issue of migration . In fact, the number of migrants in Italy has increased, from around 105,000 in 2022 to nearly 158,000 in 2023.

African Union President Azali Assoumani stated, "It is essential that we cooperate and coordinate closely to end the flow of migrants from Africa."

Migrants cross the English Channel to reach the port of Dover, England, on May 4, 2023. (Source: AFP)

The Mediterranean has become the world's most dangerous sea route for migrants. According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 100 people have died or gone missing in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of 2024.

This figure is more than double that of the same period in 2023, the year with the highest death rate for migrants crossing the sea in Europe since 2016. Therefore, Ms. Meloni plans to address the problem by persuading countries receiving migrants to sign re-entry agreements for those who are denied permission to stay in Italy.

The International Conference on Africa in Rome, Italy, on January 29th was a success, enabling the Italian Prime Minister to announce the Mattei Plan to African and European leaders. This plan revolves around two main issues: migration and energy. These are urgent issues not only for Italy but also for European countries.

However, other leaders remain cautious in assessing its effectiveness. Given the conflicting opinions, Meloni needs to carefully consider her strategy to convince her partners in Africa and Europe.

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