Mario Draghi met the top management of some of the main European companies in Milan. The meeting, organized byEuropean Round Table for Industry (Ert), was held at the headquarters of the Bank of Italy in Milan and involved CEOs and presidents of around 60 large European companies with the aim of collecting ideas and suggestions for its next report on the competitiveness of European industry, requested by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The former prime minister is expected in Brussels on Friday for the first European commissioners' seminar of 2024.
Europe must regain one competitive position in the global panorama of innovation and growth, if it does not want to be excluded from the global race with USA and Chinahave long been committed to competing with the Old Continent. Which India recently joined. Beijing has launched a new financial pact in an attempt to cleanse the economy of debt risks, while the United States is already reaping the first fruits of the "Inflation Reduction Act", a state support plan to attract businesses and talent from around the world . Faced with this, von der Leyen entrusted Draghi with the task of developing a strategy that allows Europe of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Green New Deal to keep pace with the main world economies. Not only that, but also to give impetus to greater integration of the European internal market, a topic on which the former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is also working, also appointed by the Commission.
Participants
The meeting – which lasted approximately an hour and a half – was requested byErt, the organization that brings together 59 presidents or CEOs of as many multinationals. The presidency of the group is entrusted to Jean-Francois Boxmeer, president of Vodafone. Among the participating companies there are important names such as L'Oréal, Michelin , Total e Saint Gobain from France, e.on, Basf, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Mercedes, bmw e Merck from Germany, Bp e Gsk from the UK, as well as multinationals with numerous offices in Europe such as Arcelor Mittal, Shell, Rio Tinto, Unilever e Airbus, it's still ericson from Sweden, Ab e Nestlé from Switzerland, and finally Eni, Cir e Techint from Italy. In essence, it's a pretty complete picture with the exception of pharma, Big Tech and Stellantis, which could probably feature in future meetings.
The issues on the table
At the center of the meeting, as Draghi explained to the reporters who were waiting for him in front of the secondary entrance of the Milanese headquarters of Bankitalia, the competitiveness problems in light of the digital and ecological transition, as well as issues relating to innovation. “We came here to say what is needed to be more competitive in the future and to be successful in the green transition that we must carry out in Europe”. He said Jean-François van Boxmeer at the end of the meeting. “At the same time we must preserve the competitiveness of our companies to compete with the rest of the world such as China and the USA and keep up on the innovation front. It's a delicate balance, I think we will have to adopt different measures in the future." Draghi, explains van Boxmeer, “has listened to us and will be input into his plan. There will be others." The report on competitiveness is expected "immediately after the European elections and will be the road map for the next European Commission on how to improve Europe's competitiveness", concluded number one Vodafone.
Draghi future president of the EU Council?
Concise as in his style: "Good", said the former tenant of Palazzo Chigi at the end of the meeting, appearing rather satisfied. Many see him ready for a future prominent role in Europe. The rumors of his possible race for presidency of the EU Council, ventilated from Financial Times, added an element of suspense to today's event. Charles Michel's decision to resign before his term of office has opened negotiations for his succession. The former president of the ECB and former Italian prime minister has long been indicated among the main candidates for his position. However, sources close to Draghi suggest that the former Italian prime minister is not actively seeking the role, while the figure of Viktor Orbán as a possible contender adds a shadow of uncertainty.
