Emergencies and great manoeuvres

Stop and go. Political ambitions and diplomatic astuteness. Economic action and structural perspective. Some would dare to say: immanence and transcendence. Without resorting to vocabularies and philosophies, we must recognize that in recent months the European scenario has required different perspectives of analysis and interpretation keys that cover almost all human knowledge. What is at stake? Keeping together 28 States pooling growing problems, many projects, multiple identities and crumbs of sovereignty to close ranks in a world where being small and divided could lead to insignificance. But the economic crisis, the worsening of the geopolitical scenario (just two names: ISIS and Russia) external (such as migration or terrorism) and internal pressure (starting with euroscepticism and populisms of various kinds) appear to annihilate the dreams of glory of a Europe that is still wondering what it will do “as an adult”. Migration question. Exaggerations? An assessment of what the events limited to the year 2015 and of what is going on at this time between Brussels and other European capitals would suggest otherwise. The latest news regard the progress of the EU’s migration policy, at its embryonic stage, and the outlook on the case-Greece. As regards migration it should be evident even to the most hardened nationalists and to those who set aside the perspective of solidarity, that the refugees who are pressing at Community frontiers cannot be only a “responsibility” of Italy, Greece, Malta or Spain, but are a common challenge. Also because nothing excludes that arrivals experienced so far (the source of countless problems) are just a taste of what might happen tomorrow, if poverty and conflicts were to be confirmed as a stable condition of half of the planet (the recent encyclical “Praised be You'” may be illuminating in this regard). Precisely in the field of migration policy there are modest but encouraging signs: the green light to outplacement (no mandatory quotas) of 40 thousand refugees who reached the shores of the Mediterranean, minor budgetary allocation to support the countries of first asylum, the launch of the naval mission EUNAVFOR against smugglers and human traffickers. Compared to the huge population movements taking place in the world these measures may appear modest, but the perspective of EU policies should be seen as remarkable progress. Athens cannot fail. No less important is the hastened pace of the negotiations to save Greece from default. The Agreements in force are valid until 30 June. The Eurozone must thus resort to patience – and to its own pockets – to shell out 7 billion euro that Athens needs. The Tsipras government, in return, is expected to adopt measures to fulfil commitments with creditors and tidy up national accounts. The euro summit of 22 June shows hope for manoeuvre; the Eurogroup of 25 June and the European Council of 25-26 should – except disappointments – grant a bailout, after Greek premier Tsipras presented a new plan of cuts and savings that unfortunately still weigh on the tried Greek population. Redesigning the euro. But Brussels isn’t only discussing emergency. Not by chance, on June 22 was presented an in-depth “restructuring” plan of the single currency. The document is titled “Completing Europe’s economic and monetary union”, signed by EU leaders such as Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, the president of the Eurozone Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Mario Draghi for the European Central Bank, the President of the EP Martin Schulz. The text stipulates three stages, starting next July 1, over a period of 10 years. “We need progress on four fronts,” it states: “In the first place, towards a genuine economic Union ensuring that each economy has structural features to prosper in the monetary union. Second, towards a financial Union that will guarantee the integrity of our currency” and “increase risk sharing with the private sector. This means completing the banking Union and accelerating the Union of capital markets. Thirdly, aiming at a budgetary Union that ensures both sustainability and stabilization of the budget. And finally, heading towards a policy which will lay the foundations of all that precedes through genuine democratic control, legitimacy and institutional strength”. These challenges are hard to translate into deeds. But it is a further sign that cornered Europe is seeking – and often takes on – new avenues for integration, as history shows.