Article for Bullseye - October 99 - by Paolo
Zanetto
Being
big and small at the same time
After the latest
European elections, we need to face questions about the future, and
especially about the meaning of European Union. The most valued
problems in the national political debates now are often common to
more than one country, and some big issue (first of all the
unemployment) have to be solved with politics international-oriented,
based on a strategy shared with all the members states of EU.
Actually, the
political debate during the recent campaign repeated, on the
background of the European Parliament, the domestic dispute between
national coalitions, or among government and opposition. This way,
it has been strengthen the opinion that European Union is not
governed by the people, but by 'eurocracy'.
After the birth of
Euro, the new challenge is to create a Europe of the people, not
anymore the one of technicians or lobbies, of economy and odd
regulations. We have to redefine today's role, too bureaucratic, too
far from everyday needs of the citizens. But this new demand goes
forward with a brand new worldwide revolution: the globalisation,
the phenomenon that is shaking the bases of our way of thinking,
through new technologies and beyond them. The main spotlight is
moving away from the well known model nation-state, and the barriers
among different countries are falling down; the competition is
global, and Europe must choose either to ride the new wave, or to be
overwhelmed by it.
The integration of
the spur toward a really united Europe and of the pressure of
globalisation is determinant for the future, and it has to be
managed carefully, understanding the potentiality of the new
scenario. The new problems we are facing need new solutions; if on
the one hand we have to go beyond the national model and to reason
at European level, on the other hand we can't forget the
particularities, the identities, the local level.
One possible
solution: being big and small in the same time. Conjugate the global
vision with the necessities of the single areas. European Union must
assume a role always more strategic, and it has to be the
fundamental vision for any policy, especially in the national level.
Europe must assume a precise function of political coordination, but
it also has to go beyond this assignment, and to become the landmark
in politics and even more in the whole society. It must be Europe to
face, united, the big issues: unemployment, economics, international
policy, and defence policy. This way, Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) is just the first step toward an always growing role
for the government of Europe: a new Commission, created on
principles of ability and expertise, and not anymore with a
mathematical division of the seats among member states. Even the
Parliament should change, getting near the functions of the
classical legislative bodies.
Though, this new EU
power shouldn't mean in any sense a bureaucratic centralization, a
danger that Europe often faced in the recent past. We have to apply
the principle of the European federalism, that is the grant of
autonomy for the local level, and the opportunity to fit the general
rules in the concrete levels of application. With a double
communication and management channel (from big to little, and
vice-versa), European policies can co-habit and exploit the
differences (cultural, historical, economical, etc.) that still
divide the continent. Solving the topic of bringing together the
diversities and the vision of united Europe means removing the real
obstacle that part us from the European dream that, born fifty years
ago, can now become true. Applying these principles doesn't imply
abandoning the institution of nation-state, by declaring it
old-fashioned or useless. Actually, nation remains an important
dimension of politics, but new perspectives ask us to understand
that the national one is not the only remarkable level for politics.
Reforms proposed
for the Union should be integrated in a new global frame: we need
rules for the development of EU, and we need to consider even the
expansion in the eastern European countries we'll be dealing with in
the next years. Without explicit rules, it's not possible to grant a
strategic role for Europe, and then it's not possible to achieve an
effective union among countries. Only on sure and safe bases we'll
be able to build the long-dreamed Europe of the people.
Paolo Zanetto
International secretary
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