Using a reference from Manzoni's memory we could nickname him "The Unnamed". Angela Merkel never mentions the name of Donald Trump during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, yet the recipient – as well as accused – of his speech is clear as day.
“Today, 100 years after the catastrophe of the Great War – stated the Chancellor – we have to ask ourselves whether we have really learned the lesson of historya, and it seems to me not. The only answer is cooperation and multilateralism”. A harsh attack on the protectionist measures launched by the American president who just twenty-four hours ago imposed new duties on backwashers and solar panels produced by China and South Korea.
The "protectionism is not the answer, we must seek multilateral answers, isolation does not help. Closing ourselves, isolating ourselves, will not lead us towards a serene future”, added Angela Merkel. Words similar to those pronounced this morning by the Italian Premier, Paolo Gentiloni who, during an interview with CNBS, declared that protectionism "apparently protects individual countries, but in the long run it would create enormous economic problems" and would end up "cutting the branch" on which growth is based.
The German leader's proposal goes exactly in the opposite direction to that taken by Trump: the road ahead must lead towards “the creation of a digital single market”.
Merkel cited cooperation with Africa and the agreements with Turkey on the migrant emergency as an example to reaffirm her absolute opposition to isolationist policies and "walls" advanced overseas.
In this context, Europe is called to give a strong response: “We need un an ever more integrated European Union”, from the banking union to common defence, underlined the chancellor.
