A few hours before the tragic night in Nice began, the European Federalists, together with experts and insiders, were gathered in the headquarters of the Italian Section of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AICCRE) in Rome, above the Trevi Fountain. Roundtable theme, the concrete consequences of Brexit from the point of view of EU policies for the relaunch of European integration. Despite what we breathe today, the climate was a certain distance from the tragedies that shook the Union until a few months ago, from Paris to Brussels - without wanting to consider those on the borders, such as the latest in Istanbul . In fact, questions have been asked about the opportunity, rather than the crisis, that the exit of the United Kingdom can mean for Europe. A last chance, this was the leitmotif, to give the Union a concrete and solid future.
“The intergovernmental model brings out the worst in the European Union”. Thus attacks the intervention of him the group leader of the European Socialists in Brussels, Gianni Pittella. A contribution, that of the MEP from Basilicata, very harsh with respect to the behavior to be adopted with the former English partners. It is necessary, she says, to speed up the process of the effective exit of the United Kingdom from the Union, in order to be consistent with the other member states, but also with the British electorate. Delaying implementation of the Withdrawal ratification is only intended to give the new Downing Street time to negotiate the best deal for its life outside the EU, if not to get more time to mend internal rifts within the UK – yes think of Scotland, Northern Ireland and London itself.
After the considerations, he turns to the organization of the event, the European Federalist Movement and the European Alternative Association – think tank with the mission of pushing the future of Europe towards the democratic federalist model – explaining what will be the guidelines of the MEP action of the socialist group.
First of all, continues Pittella, it will be essential to play arm wrestling well for soften the charges deriving from the fiscal compact, strengthen the Junker plan with a view to transforming it into a real investment plan at the European level – providing relief from EU budgetary rules. Furthermore, in the medium term, it is necessary to push towards an agreement with the European electorate for the modification of the treaties. In practice, the European socialists will move, between 2017 and 2018, towards a constituent which has the objective of taking the decisive federalist step forward – dear both to the European social democratic family and, obviously, to the audience of the day. The measures to be included in the future Europe, he concludes, are few but decidedly revolutionary: the European budget, the European Treasury Ministry, the election of the European Parliament through transnational lists, the direct election of the President of the Commission.
Objectives on the verge of utopia, of course, but for the realization of which the strong and decisive presence of Italy is essential. With a France where Hollande's party is at an all-time lowWith Spain plunged into utter political confusion, Austria teetering on being ruled by an ultra-conservative force, a populist Portugal, Italy holds the compass of progressive Europe in its hand. From this point of view, the October referendum, Pittella continues, is a fundamental watershed: "If we lose there, we lose the possibility of having a united Europe".
In addition to the dense intervention of the leader of the European Socialists, the notes of the expert European jurist Vincenzo Guizzi are interesting, recalling how the implementation of Article 50 of the TEU – which regulates the right of withdrawal of a member state from the EU – is submitted on the one hand to approval by a qualified majority of the Council, and on the other requires the go-ahead from the European Parliament. A process certainly not short, but also difficult given the different positions regarding the treatment of the United Kingdom in the European assembly. Therefore, a process of clarification of what the position with respect to the future of Europe is for all member states is essential, specifying whether it is necessary to move towards a process of strengthening the European Union from a centripetal perspective, or of expansion with centrifugal perspectives.
A moment, that of yesterday at AICCRE with the European Federalists and the European Alternative, of fundamental utility to get back to discussing and proposing solutions to a Europe that cannot and must not stop at a question and answer with terrorist attacks - which very often born within the borders of Europe itself. Continuing to work for the future of a united Europe – politically, economically and culturally – appears to be the only useful answer to the many questions posed by the now too frequent massacres. In this regard, it is useful to point out the words that Pittella himself wrote on his Twitter profile: “A new, terrible, hateful attack against civilization and humanity. Terrorism will never bend us. Europe responds united”.
