The new secretary Salvini, supported by the gelatinous Borghezio, led the League towards yet another bad impression, demonstrating poor culture and a fund of barbarism that certainly does not help to Italy's credibility. Contesting President Napolitano during his speech to the European Parliament by waving placards against slavery brought in their opinion by the Euro, they were silenced by a barrage of applause for our President of the Republic from all the deputies of the other parties and other countries .
Napolitano was making a speech with a high moral and political profilecertainly not overshadowed by this "incident", in which he harshly rejected both the "destructive agitation" of those who try to place all the blame for the current serious crisis on the Euro and the Union, and the selfishness and short-sightedness of a part of the European ruling class which has made many mistakes in recent years because it lacks a "long view" and acts on the spur of modest and temporary short-term advantages.
Contrary to what immediately rebounded on social networks, our President has certainly said that we cannot go ahead with the recipe of austerity alone, but he added immediately afterwards that the turning point in EU policy cannot take place in the direction of "demagogic irresponsibility" of those who push for an increase in public spending based on the deficit and therefore on new debt that would weigh on the shoulders of future generations . Certain constraints necessary for closer coordination of budgetary policies between European countries cannot be set aside with ease, while abandoning the Euro, far from representing a recipe for salvation, would certainly have serious consequences which are instead assessed by "someone with disarming simplicity ”.
Beyond the political manipulations and journalistic simplifications, Napolitano went to the European Parliament to bring a strong message on the need to quickly rediscover the reasons for being together in Europe. The European Community was created in the 50s on the thrust of the wars which had bloodied Europe, by political personalities who "were imbued with the tragic feeling of history". Almost sixty years later (years of peace and economic prosperity) that sentiment has partly vanished, but remains in the deep roots of the European peoples. Today that plant must be revived with grafts of new great objectives on which the sentiment and also the interest of large groups of the population can converge. This new long-term mission must start from a correct assessment of the situation and of Europe's possible role in a world now united under the banner of market globalisation. Our continent appears smaller than the giants operating on a global scale, and has lost the centrality it had a century ago. However, united it can play a role of primary importance thanks to its deep cultural and democratic roots, which certainly could not be achieved by individual countries if they presented themselves isolated on the world stage.
The new goal to propose to voters in the upcoming European elections on 25 May it is that of a Europe capable of overcoming the trend of decline and returning to the path of growth. The answer to the destructive suggestions, and to the reappearance of nationalistic ambitions, therefore does not lie in the generic reference to past European values, but in courageously outlining the way to repair the mistakes made, through the relaunching of the Community political institutions which must be able to guide the process of integration by combining respect for the rules with solidarity and concrete support for joint development actions, particularly in the fields of training, technological innovation and infrastructure.
Napolitano has shown concern for the outcome of the forthcoming European elections. His main message was addressed to the European ruling classes so that they are able to elaborate and propose to their citizens, certainly disappointed and bewildered by the long crisis, a message that is not simply defensive, but capable of mobilizing hearts and minds towards a realistic goal and who moves courageously in the direction of history avoiding dangerous and destructive "returns to the past". A past that has certainly been positive precisely thanks to the progress of European integration and which today would certainly not be such if it was founded on the rubble of the construction of the Community.
