The popularity of the European Union is at an all-time low. Issues such as Ireland’s rejection of the Constitutional Treaty, rising inflation and the inability to give a united response to the keenly felt, and pressing, problem of immigration are just some of the reasons driving Europe’s citizens to take a sceptical view of the leadership in Brussels and Strasbourg. Having achieved and amply built on the main objective for which the European Union was created, to bring stable, lasting peace to the continent, what sense is there today in keeping together 27 countries whose national interests do not always converge? We put this question to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Alfredo Mantica.
Q. Some observers claim that the crisis in EU consensus has been caused by the leadership’s failure to communicate the many results achieved in Brussels. Do you agree?
R. “I believe that reducing the problem to an error in communication is to undervalue it. There is indeed a communication problem, but what Europe really lacks is a dream, hope, a reason to stay together. Look, we can stay together for two types of reason. Love or mutual interests. Europe hasn’t shown people any sound reasons to stay together for love. And it isn’t managing to convey these mutual interest. As the Irish situation demonstrates”.
Q. Are you referring to their rejection of the Treaty?
R. “Yes. Ireland has gained many benefits from membership of the European Union, but Europe has conveyed an image of itself to the Irish people that provoked strong reactions. The Irish ‘No’ campaign was based on concerns about gay marriage, abortion, genetic manipulation and other issues that regard individuals’ lifestyles and values. We need to reiterate that each country is autonomous in deciding their own domestic laws on issues concerning the family and personal relations. This affects all Catholic countries, starting with Italy, Spain and much of France”.
Q. Are you saying that this Europe is too secular?
R. “An overly emphatic secularism isn’t good for Europe. I think it’s a mistake to eliminate any reference to Europe’s Christian roots. Recognising ourselves in certain common values is an important historic reason to stay together, and this has come to be lacking”.
Q. What reasons do we have left to stay together?
R. “There are economic reasons, clearly. The 27 member countries have put together a huge common market which brings advantages through its rules and procedures, the stability of the Euro, trade, and the free movement of goods and people. I don’t think anybody would quarrel with Europe over questions regarding our social and economic life. Although you can find a few negative points there too. We could discuss for hours the fact that Europe provides stability for the Italian economy, even though the great majority of our citizens are convinced that things were better before, with the lira. So we need to explain that the stability of the Euro has a cost, and that’s the cost we’re all paying, in Italy and the other countries. And then we need to say that even though we’re getting along well together, some countries have been better than others at defending their national interests. Milk and steel quotas and many other questions have penalised Italy with respect to the rest of Europe”.
Q. How “enlarged” do you see this Europe as being? Should it include Turkey?
R. “I’m in favour of Turkey entering Europe, for a geo-political reason. To be strong, Europe needs to shift its political centre of gravity towards the Mediterranean, and Turkey would help achieve that. As regards enlargement, maybe we should stop, because enlargement is not just to the east, with the possibility of allowing Ukraine and Georgia to enter. There’s also enlargement towards the Balkans. And I wonder how much capacity today’s Europe has to absorb a political, economic and social problem like the one posed by the Balkans. How could we withstand the impact with a situation that would be seeking in Europe a way of resolving its egotisms and factional disputes, if the Europe of 27 can’t even solve its own problems?”.
Q. One of the big problems that Europe isn’t managing to address coherently is immigration.
R. “There’s a lot of hypocrisy on the question of immigration. We need to stop addressing this subject from an ideological and personal standpoint. The problem is a historical, epic one. Millions of people are moving in our direction, with their own cultures. We need to draft our laws – sadly – by analysing cold numbers. The age of ‘add another place at table, we’ve got another friend to dinner’ is over. And given the failure of multiculturism in France, Germany and the UK there’s nobody who can teach us what integration actually is. We all need to discover the road forward together, by making a great effort and leaving our prejudices to one side”.
Q. Silvio Berlusconi says that Europe needs to change. He’d like to see a real shake-up.
R. “I agree with the premier. I believe he said, in an incisive manner, the same thing as I said earlier: Europe needs to find a dream. We need to start thinking about creating a European ‘locomotive’ that would start pulling the others along with it”.
Q. Are you in favour of the creation of the so-called “directory”?
R. “The danger, nowadays, is of a Germany that looks to the East, to the Balkans, and acts as a locomotive on its own account. Of a United Kingdom that returns to its role of outpost of the United States, or at any rate rediscovers its Anglo-Saxon roots and focuses its gaze on the other side of the Channel. While France aspires to a strong Mediterranean role. If things went in these directions, there’d be no more Europe”.
Q. Sarkozy has been EU President since 1 July. Will this change anything in the Union’s foreign and internal policy?
R. “If we intend to see a stronger alignment with the United States in our foreign policy, I believe this has already happened and will be confirmed by the French Presidency. But I don’t believe that this Presidency will bring the ‘shake-up’ Berlusconi mentioned. Sarkozy dreamt of delivering a new Europe, the Europe of the Lisbon Treaty which was supposed to be established on 1 January 2009. But until October, we’re at a standstill as a result of the Irish ‘no’ vote. We’re missing the political impetus that would enable a new era to open up”.
Q. On 8 August the Peking Olympics will be opening. Europe, and Italy, still need to choose which representatives to send.
R. “I caused a lot of controversy by saying that Italy will follow the European line on that issue. Europe can decide whether to send heads of state, or representatives of the world of sport. I hope we fight for the latter option”.