At the Atreju festival in Rome, tech billionaire Elon Musk joined Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday to discuss mass migration in Europe and emphasized the importance of population growth to preserve cultural identity. Musk urged leaders to create incentives for people to have children and highlighted the decline in birth rates worldwide. He argued that relying on immigration from other countries would not be a sustainable solution, as population decline is a common trend in industrialized and urbanized societies. Musk’s remarks resonated with the audience, garnering applause and support for his stance.
The festival also saw the presence of other world leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. The leaders engaged in talks about curbing illegal migration into Europe and intensifying cooperation in combating human trafficking. They emphasized the need for stabilization in the Western Balkans and discussed the possibility of assisted, voluntary repatriations to countries of origin for migrants stranded in Tunisia.
During his speech, Sunak acknowledged the need to update laws and frameworks around asylum to address the migration crisis effectively. He warned that failing to tackle irregular migration would erode public trust in politicians and governments. Sunak and Meloni agreed to co-finance a project for assisted repatriations, facilitated by the International Organization for Migration, aimed at migrants in Tunisia.
The discussions come at a time of heightened tensions in Europe, particularly due to the Israel-Hamas war. France, in particular, has been on high security alert following a series of deadly attacks against French teachers by suspected Islamic extremists. Meloni expressed concerns about the compatibility between Islamic culture and the values and rights of Western civilization. She noted the financing of Islamic cultural centers in Italy by Saudi Arabia, where Sharia law is in force, highlighting a perceived Islamization process in Europe that diverges from Western values.
Elon Musk’s call for population growth and the leaders’ discussions on migration highlight the complex challenges faced by European countries. The festival provided a platform for these important conversations and emphasized the need for sustainable solutions to preserve cultural identity while addressing migration issues.
