In Berlin, President Steinmeier welcomes his Italian counterpart, Mattarella.
On Friday, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will greet his Italian equivalent, Sergio Mattarella, with a ceremonial salute at Bellevue Palace. Post-discussions, a shared press briefing is slated for 10:40 AM as per the Presidential Office's announcement. Laura, Mattarella's daughter, will be accompanying him. Steinmeier's spouse, Elke Büdenbender, will also attend the reception. Steinmeier and Mattarella share a strong bond of friendship.
Later in the evening, Mattarella will bridge gaps with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). The Federal Chancellery has indicated that the conversational matters will revolve around country-specific and European issues. Their last interaction occurred during Scholz's trip to Rome, where a sit-down with Italy's freshly appointed, right-wing head of government, Giorgia Meloni, was omitted. Mattarella is recognized as one of the architects of the Italian Democratic Party (Partito Democratico) and holds distinctive political viewpoints from Meloni and her Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party.
Mattarella will be in Berlin for a three-day tour, commencing on Thursday, accompanied by his daughter. On that evening, a tour of an exhibition titled "Off to Italy! With Liebermann in Venice, Florence, and Rome" by artist Max Liebermann is scheduled.
Saturday will see Mattarella and Steinmeier venturing to Bonn and Cologne with their respective spouses. The trip will conclude with their departure for Italy on Sunday. Their agendas include participation in a joint remembrance ceremony in Bologna for the Marzabotto massacre, considered one of the most disturbing war crimes committed by German soldiers in Italy during World War II.
During Mattarella's three-day tour in Berlin, a state visit with President Steinmeier is planned, featuring a ceremonial greeting and a shared press briefing. After their productive discussions, they will continue bridging gaps with Federal Chancellor Scholz, focusing on country-specific and European issues.
