It didn’t take long for Elon Musk to be accused of meddling in Italy’s domestic affairs.
The tech billionaire’s declaration that “these judges need to go” made headlines across Italy, amid heightened tensions between Italy’s ruling coalition and the judiciary after a panel of magistrates in Rome ruled that asylum questioned the legality of the government’s move to detain the seekers of In Albania
Musk drew a highly unusual statement from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who told him not to interfere in Italian affairs.
“Italy is a great democratic country and … knows how to take care of itself,” Mattarella said. “Anyone, especially if, as has been announced, he is to assume an important governmental role in a friendly and allied country, must respect his sovereignty and not take it upon himself to issue instructions. could.”
Musk, who owns Tesla and X, was recently tapped by Donald Trump to head his planned new Department of Government Efficiency.
He has also developed a close relationship with Georgia Maloney since she was elected two years ago on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration.
Two processing centers in Albania, built and managed by the Italian government to help manage the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean to Italy, soon became a symbol of its tough stance on migration.
But the project’s success has so far been undermined by delays, legal hurdles and human rights concerns, as well as doubts about its cost-effectiveness.
Last week, a Rome court ordered the transfer of seven Egyptian and Bangladeshi refugees from one of the two centers to Italy.
The court had already ruled last month against the detention of other migrants from the same countries in Albania, a decision the Italian prime minister described as “prejudicial”.
Both centers are currently empty, and Italian authorities are reducing the number of staff on the ground.
Since then, the debate in Italy has grown increasingly heated, with Meloni and other members of his government regularly attacking the country’s judiciary, with even Musk weighing in.
The legal dispute revolves around an October ruling by the European Union’s Court of Justice (ECJ), which said no country can be considered safe if any part of it is dangerous.
This further challenges Italy’s policy of repatriating migrants without visas.
While the ruling refers to the Czech case, it also applies to the entire EU and complicates Italy’s plans for detention centers in Albania that were meant to speed up repatriation.
The Rome court has stayed these proceedings pending further clarification from the ECJ.
The plan has attracted the attention of many leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is himself trying to curb illegal immigration.
During a state visit last September, Starmer praised Maloney for “remarkable progress” in tackling irregular arrivals by sea, while Maloney said his counterpart had worked with Albania on his country’s Showed “a lot of interest” in the deal.
Ursula van der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has called for the search for “return centers” outside the EU. In a letter to European leaders on illegal migration, he cited the agreement between Italy and Albania as a possible model.
However, many observers have expressed concern over the actual impact of these centers, should they ever begin operating at full capacity.
“In addition to delaying the implementation of the operation, I see the project as a distraction from more important issues that should be on the agenda, such as better distribution of funds and the creation of the asylum system as a whole,” Alberto said. Alberto said. Horst Neidhardt, a senior policy analyst at the European Policy Center in Brussels.
“Regardless of whether it works or not, it’s just a drop in the ocean.”
Italy’s incendiary political discourse shows no signs of dying down.
The judiciary here has been accused of obstructing the government before.
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, accused of violating antitrust laws, money laundering, and tax fraud and facing prosecution for several other crimes over the years, has repeatedly attacked judges. Hoy called them “communists”.
Matteo Salvini, Malone’s coalition partner, echoed his words, saying that the judges who twisted Italy’s laws should resign and go into politics with “refund communists”.
“Destroying those whose role it is to ensure that the law is upheld can pose a real threat,” Neidhart warned.
Maloney and Musk have since spoken out about the dispute, according to Italian reports. Musk is said to have expressed his respect for the Italian president, a report confirmed by Andrea Struppa, Musk’s close associate in Italy.
However, Strupa added that Musk also emphasizes that free speech is protected by the First Amendment and the Italian Constitution itself. So, as a citizen, he will continue to express his opinion freely.”
