European Letters

At a global level markets saw Europe as the weakest player, hence the one on the losing side. The real challenge for europeans is to relaunch the project of a european federation, in order to overcome the EU way according to which matters that are crucial to citizens are still in the hands of Member States. To overcome the german fears concerning the financial costs of this operation, we need France to open up to sharing soverignty on security and foreign policy.

In a would-be enlarged Europe, although they continue to believe in the project of uniting Europe citizens are still trapped in a national framework in which this project is no longer on the agenda, and this condems them to international irrelevance. We need to change the course through an initiative aiming at the political unification of a handful of countries, and safeguard the general acquis communautaire at the same time.

The European project stalled following the Lisbon Treaty. The German constitutional court itself reminded us that the core matters cannot be “communitised” as a majority vote within the council would violate democratic rights. It’s only through an explicit constituting act that we can make the political union possible, and it can only come from an initial small group of countries.

The success of populist movements during the last european elections confirms the citizens disaffection towards this Europe which isn’t able to. The Schauble-Lamers proposal of a multi-speed Europe, which dates back to 15 years ago, comes back with every crises because the fact that this is the only way to overcome the stalemate paralysing Europe is unquestionable.

The anti-crisis measures implemented by the governments are proving ineffective, and they’re undermining the principles of the monetary and economic union. On the contrary, the issuing of eurobonds and the creation of a european economic governance would increase Europe’s reactivity, even though they entail giving up a method based on the Member State’s acceptance of collective rules.

Facing the absence of a European group the United States is forced to play solo, by playing an unsustainable role as a world power. After all, as a consequence of being a dispersed crowd, europeans will have to disporportionately foot the bill as a result of the West’s loss of power represented by the Russian-Georgian conflict, and the collapse of many banking giants followed by that of the stock markets isnt’ but the latest event.

This spring’s food crisis shows how urgent it is to promote a different agricultual policy in every continent, in order to guarantee a sufficient amount of food to a world that’s facing a constant demographic growth. Divided as it is in several sovereign states, Europe isn’t ready to fulfill this task.

The serious economic and political crisis that Italy is going through is the clearest aspect of the european situation’s regression, and citizens will only be able to face this situation if they’ll relaunch the european integration process based on new pillars.

There are three unavoidable problems: the power we need to affirm Europe’s independence in terms of security; the framework in which it would become possible to acquire such a power, the creation of a new military staff that can be held accountable by a european sovereign power.

The West’s attitude is perhaps key if we want to stop Russia from coming back authoritarianism. Europe’s divisions paves the way to weakness and instability feeding the lowest instincts in russian politics and society.

The European integration process has apparently stopped after the Lisbon Treaty. Therefore, the federal move by a group of countries is the only instrument we can use to create favourable conditions so that we can face the global challenges that are threatening Europe.

A federal Europe, capable of actions as well as being influential in the world stage can make international relations find peace and balance again, by making it possible to have a cooperative governance of global crises.