Paolo Mieli: "L’Europa va sciolta e rifondata" - ODFF III ed. 2025

Summary

In this insightful speech, Paolo Mieli discusses Europe's current political landscape, focusing on the challenges and opportunities posed by the war in Ukraine and shifting geopolitical dynamics. He highlights the roles of key European nations such as France, Germany, and Italy, emphasizing the need for strategic unity and a reformed, more decisive European Union. Mieli also critiques the slow pace of EU decision-making over the past 25 years, advocating for a renewed Europe, led by a smaller core of nations, to respond effectively to current challenges and reintegrate the UK into a reimagined European framework.

Takeaways

• 😀 Europe faces a unique opportunity to build a strategic and autonomous identity, with France, Germany, and the UK playing key roles.
• 😀 The Ukraine war is unprecedented, lasting for three years and causing immense loss of life, making peace difficult to achieve.
• 😀 The role of Europe should return to its core foundations, with France and Germany leading the way in shaping the future.
• 😀 The leadership of Germany has evolved, with Olaf Scholz handling the legacy of his predecessors and maintaining strong leadership despite challenges.
• 😀 France has become more firm under Macron in recent times, prioritizing long-term image over short-term political gains.
• 😀 Italy’s government under Giorgia Meloni is seen as stable and reliable, earning recognition for its international diplomacy.
• 😀 Despite differing political views, Meloni has continued policies similar to her predecessor Draghi, demonstrating democratic flexibility and coherence in international relations.
• 😀 Europe’s decision-making processes are slow, with crucial matters often postponed between summits without concrete action.
• 😀 There’s a need to accelerate Europe’s political integration, with stronger decision-making processes, including majority voting on key issues like defense, foreign policy, and economics.
• 😀 A reformed Europe could bring the UK back into the fold, alongside other countries, and establish a more unified structure for tackling common challenges.

Q & A

What is the current political context in Europe as mentioned by Paolo Mieli?

Paolo Mieli discusses the political situation in Europe, highlighting that France and Germany are emerging from a phase of political and geopolitical recovery. There are two potential opportunities for Europe: England re-engaging with the European Union and Italy playing a bridging role between the Atlantic sides.

What role does Mieli believe Italy can play in the European context?

Mieli believes Italy can act as a bridge between the two sides of the Atlantic, strengthening the European strategic identity by connecting France, Germany, and England, while maintaining its own stable government.

What challenges does Mieli mention regarding the Ukraine conflict?

Mieli emphasizes that the Ukraine war is unprecedented in its psychological and social effects. Unlike past wars, peace needs to be built on the shoulders of a people who have endured immense losses. This creates a complex and difficult peace process, as the war has led to widespread suffering in both the aggressor and victim countries.

How does Mieli view the leadership of Germany and France during the Ukraine conflict?

Mieli praises the leadership of Germany and France. He mentions that Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has handled the challenging legacy left by previous leaders with great skill, while France's president, Emmanuel Macron, has shown firmness despite a wavering position earlier in the conflict.

How does Mieli assess Giorgia Meloni’s leadership in Italy?

Mieli acknowledges Giorgia Meloni as a competent leader on the international stage, even though he did not vote for her. He notes that Meloni has maintained a consistent pro-Zelensky stance, aligning with Italy's previous government led by Mario Draghi, despite her opposition to Draghi's policies in domestic matters.

What does Mieli say about the challenges of European decision-making?

Mieli criticizes the slow and inefficient decision-making process in Europe, claiming that decisions often get delayed or watered down in summits. He calls for an acceleration of decision-making processes to address the urgent challenges Europe faces.

What is Mieli’s vision for a reformed European Union?

Mieli envisions a reformed European Union, one that moves beyond economic unity to political unity. He proposes a core group of countries that agree to major policy decisions by majority rule, with the rest of the countries having more flexible participation.

What does Mieli propose as a solution to Europe’s bureaucratic inefficiency?

Mieli suggests that the European Union should undergo a foundational reformation, where a group of countries can make decisions on defense, foreign policy, and economic matters by majority rule. This would allow Europe to function more efficiently in times of crisis.

How does Mieli suggest the European Union could be expanded?

Mieli proposes that the European Union could be expanded to include 40-50 countries, with a tiered membership system. The first tier would involve countries committed to fundamental EU policies, while the second and third tiers would involve more flexible participation.

What does Mieli hope for in the upcoming European political period?

Mieli expresses hope that the current biennium will be used not only to strengthen ties between France and Germany but also to reintegrate the United Kingdom into a reformed and strengthened European Union, which would be founded on new principles and faster decision-making.