RIMINI (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Is Europe absent? All in all, it gave a fairly strong response to the four crises – the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the change in the energy model and inflation. The European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, made this declaration at the Rimini Meeting.?”I’ll give just two examples: the first are these famous Eurobonds, the issue of common European debt. If we spoke with a smile on our faces for about twenty years, sure, it took a pandemic, but we made it.” The second example, added Gentiloni, “is the Russian invasion of Ukraine which saw a European response that was insufficient in terms of diplomatic capacity, but extraordinary in terms of unity between European countries”. Putin “was convinced that he could count on a weak and divided European Union.”?For Gentiloni “betting on Europe and European sovereignty is absolutely not downsizing the role of a country like Italy, on the contrary: I think that true patriots are also true pro-Europeans. We cannot be part-time pro-Europeans”.
“When I hear the Mameli anthem, when I see our athletes winning at the Olympics, when I see a tricolor I am honestly moved and at the same time I think that we need more Europe. The true patriots today are Europeans”, he added.
“The process of making decisions at European level is quite tiring, compromises are necessary. To make a compromise it is necessary to take into account both the different political-cultural inspirations and national interests. It is a great school of democracy and compromise, but in the end decisions are made”, underlined Gentiloni.
All in all, this wonderful experiment by the European Union has worked, let’s not spit on the plate that we have built over these decades because it is a machine of democracy, freedom and peace that works,” he continued.?”Asking member countries to increase their contributions is one of the most unpopular things that the European Union can do: what we should do is gradually put ourselves in a position to have a ‘single treasurè”, explained the European commissioner.?”If we think of moving forward with the European Union of 35 without taking steps towards a European treasure, in my opinion we are deluding ourselves”, he underlined. “If the European Union wants to stay in the changing times it must increase its ambition. More strength for the European Union also means more strength for its capacity to expand democracy and freedom”, added Gentiloni. On the sidelines of the Meeting, the former prime minister responded to questions from journalists who asked him to comment on the statements of the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti, according to whom the Stability Pact forces national states into short-term policies. “I think that the new Stability Pact actually has the impetus to work in the medium and long term, in fact we are talking about a multi-year plan of four or even seven years that the various countries must present to the Commission in the coming weeks, he said, adding, “I think it’s a long-term perspective. The collaboration with Minister Giorgetti has always been excellent. We worked together very well, he had an important role in defining the new Stability Pact by representing Italy and supporting it on behalf of Italy.”?For the European Commissioner “Italy has had good levels of growth. We have registered growth more than other countries to keep together the need to push it further and the need to control public debt. If there is one point on which Italy is particularly exposed, it is that of public debt which, after the Greek one, is the highest in the European Union and, unlike the Greek one, has not yet taken the path it should take in the coming years. 10 years would be safe way of gradual reduction”.
– Photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).
