Pedro Sánchez will not meet with Giorgia Meloni in Rome due to “scheduling conflicts”

Eduardo González The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will not be received this Tuesday in Rome by the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, due to “scheduling conflicts,” according to sources at Moncloa Palace who spoke to The Diplomat. Sánchez embarks this Tuesday on a two-day trip to Rome, the main highlights of which will be his participation in a high-level event on food security, coinciding with Nutrition Week, and an audience with Pope Leo XIV, which will take place on May 27 at the Vatican and will include a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Pietro Parolin. According to the aforementioned sources, an initial attempt was made to arrange a meeting with Meloni, but it was ultimately not possible due to scheduling conflicts. Both sides, it was confirmed, showed a “willingness” to make this meeting in Rome possible “until the very last minute” and have agreed to try again the next time the two leaders are in the same place. Sources at Moncloa Palace recalled last week that Sánchez and Meloni have met on many occasions, especially at European Council meetings, and that, therefore, the relationship is very fluid even outside of bilateral meetings. However, the only bilateral meeting between Sánchez and Meloni took place in Rome in April 2023, during a European tour in preparation for Spain's Presidency of the Council of the EU, which it assumed on July 1 of that year. At that meeting, the two leaders tried to overcome their significant differences on migration and agreed on the need for a European policy that “focuses less on the internal dimension” and “more on the external dimension” and on cooperation and collaboration with countries of origin and transit in North Africa. Separately, Meloni's government is one of the most reluctant in the EU to accept the Spanish proposal to suspend the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel. In mid-March, during a speech in the Italian Senate, the Prime Minister asserted that Italy is "in the same position as the main European countries, practically all of them, except Spain," regarding the United States' war in Iran. Luis Planas The rest of Sánchez's agenda in the Italian capital is primarily focused on the celebration of Nutrition Week in Rome, which brings together United Nations agencies, governments, and experts to coordinate the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and in which the Prime Minister will participate with a speech. In addition, the Prime Minister will meet with the heads of the three UN agencies present in Rome: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). He will be accompanied at this meeting by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas. On March 16th in Brussels, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced the Spanish government's intention to nominate Luis Planas for the position of Director-General of the FAO. "The decision will be made during the summer of 2027," he stated. The FAO, headquartered in Rome, is the United Nations agency leading the international effort to end hunger. With 194 members (193 countries and the European Union), it works in more than 130 countries worldwide. Spain is represented at the FAO through the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Office of the Embassy in Italy. The current Deputy Permanent Representative is Fernando Miranda Sotillos. Separately, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet this afternoon with representatives of a group of leading companies in Spain and Italy from cutting-edge and strategic sectors. Among the companies attending will be Navantia, Fincantieri, Indra, Leonardo, Sapa, Sacyr, Webuild, Renfe, Ferrovie dello Stato, Abertis, Mundys, Multiverse Computing, Livelum and Evja. Audience with the Pope The following day, Wednesday the 27th, President Sánchez will be received in audience by Pope Leo XIV, who will make an apostolic journey to Spain next June. This meeting is the first between the Prime Minister and the Pope since the latter's election in 2015 and takes place "on the basis of collaboration on various issues and the good relations that have been developing in recent years between Spain and the Vatican," according to Moncloa Palace. Among other topics, they are expected to address issues of common interest such as peace, the fight against inequality, the protection of vulnerable migrants, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society. Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," on Monday, May 25th, on the social doctrine of the Church "in the age of artificial intelligence," in which he warns, among other things, that "technology must not be concentrated in the hands of a few." He also rejects increased military spending as the “only answer” to an “uncertain future,” defends the rights of migrants and the analysis of the “root causes” of migration, and calls for “an examination of conscience” within the Church on behalf of the “victims of abuse.” The Pope’s words come after the legislative and regulatory measures announced last February by the Spanish government to protect minors and strengthen controls on social media against disinformation and hate speech, and after Pedro Sánchez’s numerous accusations against “techno-oligarchs” for their attacks on democracy.

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