GERMANY-Meloni & Scholz To Hold Bilateral In November

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's office has stated that the PM and Germany Chancellor will hold a bilateral meeting hosted by Germany in late November following their talks earlier today on the sidelines of an informal European Council leaders' summit in Granada, Spain. Meloni's office stated that in today's talks, "...the two leaders focused on migration, expressing satisfaction for the recent EU agreement on how to handle irregular immigration at times of exceptionally high arrivals..."

• Relations between the major eurozone economies have been tense of late over the issue of migration and asylum. A deal agreed by a qualified majority vote on 4 Oct has removed binding language on NGO rescue missions in the Med, in what Politico reports as a concession from Germany (notably the Greens) and a win for Italy. The deal still has to be approved by the European Parliament, with Politico reporting some hope from Germany that MEPs will restore language on NGO missions.
• A more harmonious relationship between Germany and Italy at the EU level could assist in getting agreement on other areas of crucial policy including financial and military aid for Ukraine, and EU relations with China (amid Italy's potential withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative).