Matteo Renzi is a man apart. He has just assumed the rotating presidency of the EU and his key agenda is reform of the bloc and immigration policy. Following the dreadful incident of 30 migrants found dead off the coast of Sicily he said: “If, when facing the tragedies of immigration we are told ‘this is not our problem’, then I say keep your single currency and leave us our values” (July 1).

Renzi achieved unique ascendancy over every other country in Europe during the most recent elections. His reputation has gone from strength to strength. He will drive countries like my own, the UK, to take their share of responsibility towards the funding of better provision of immigrant welfare whether at sea or on land.

Malta has its own experiences to share with him in the fight to get the EU to take the burden of its proportion of responsibilities. This is, I think, a good time for the government of Joseph Muscat to strengthen its ties with Italy and reinforce the efforts that Renzi has promised to make to propel the immigration issue into the mainstream of EU policymaking.

Malta simply cannot shoulder the burden alone.

Over time, the costs must surely rise and force precious resources away from infrastructural projects towards more social housing and funds to feed and clothe those who, through no fault of their own, have been displaced within Malta.

I hope that the new impetus Renzi now musters with the goodwill of the Maltese government will see unresponsive countries, such as the UK, willing to shoulder much more of this burden.

As Renzi says: “A Europe that tells the Calabrian fisherman that he must use a certain technique to catch tuna but then turns its back when there are dead bodies in the sea cannot call itself civilised.”