Meloni’s border-control standoff with Spain causes friction inside her government

Italy has extended its suspension of Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for two more weeks, revealing a dispute inside Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government over how long to maintain pressure on Madrid.

The checks on passengers arriving by air and sea from Spain, introduced on Aug. 1 during the migration crisis in Ceuta, had been due to expire on Aug. 31. The government initially considered a one-month extension, but settled on Sept. 15 for technical reasons.

The compromise followed a meeting between Meloni, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Piantedosi, a career prefect with a technical profile, argued for lifting the measure. Tajani and Meloni backed its continuation. The Interior Ministry formally cited the persistence of the conditions that led to the checks, while also referring to initiatives by Spain and the European Union aimed at normalizing the situation.

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the last extension

Piantedosi told his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, about the extension in what Italy described as a constructive phone call. He openly said he hoped it would be “the last extension.” Spain responded by extending its own checks on passengers arriving from Italy by air and sea. Spanish authorities said they had checked 12,885 travelers on 1,111 flights, using 1,885 officials.

Italy said it had reviewed passenger lists for nearly 500,000 people since Aug. 1 and identified more than 180,000 travelers from Spain on arrival. The checks resulted in 31 refusals at the border, including eight Moroccan citizens, and six arrests. Meloni and Tajani continue to favor maintaining pressure on Madrid, with the dispute expected to reach the next European Council meeting.

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constructive phone call