The head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, went discreetly to Tunis on Thursday, July 31, 2025. According to the former Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Ounaies, this express visit is part of a dynamic of European consultations upstream of crucial decisions on migration and Palestine.
Surprise guest on Thursday July 31 in Tunis, Giorgia Meloni, president of the Italian council, would have brought sensitive European messages.
Meloni, European intermediary
According to Ahmed Ounaies, former Tunisian Minister for Foreign Affairs, this visit “seems unexpected, but was planned in the context of unveiled diplomatic consultations”.
Interviewed on Jawhara FM Friday August 1, he explained that Rome acts here as a European intermediary, especially on migratory files and the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The key role of Tunisia
For Ahmed Ounaies, this approach is strategic: “Europe wants to legally regulate the flow of North African labor. There is an urgent need for workers, and a desire to train them in Italy before integrating them into the European market ”. Tunisia would therefore play a key role in this device.
Regarding Palestine, he says: “Current developments are serious. Europe has instructed Giorgia Meloni to consult, soften the positions and defuse tensions. Recognition of Palestine’s state would be a major political response to the Israeli operation in Gaza. »»
This visit comes as several European countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Portugal, plan to recognize the Palestinian state in the UN in September. At the same time, the migratory pressure and demographic needs of the countries of southern Europe lead to a new cooperation strategy with North Africa, focused on legal and trained workforce.
