A pedagogical politics for the EU

"By continuing the reform process, Europe and the euro currency can emerge stronger from the crisis and assume an important role in a renewed world", wrote Jean-Dominique Giuliani, president of the Robert-Schuman Foundation, in an article published by the Catholic weekly "L’aurore du bourbonnais" on September 14. Giuliani analyzed "previous recipes, concerns and games" that explain the ongoing crisis in Europe. What is the way out? From austerity to spending. In his article, the president of the research centre on Europe writes that in its latest consultations the United States seemed to relinquish austerity in favour of the recovery of spending powers, which is due to increase difficulties or to produce future investments that would be hard to face by the eleven European governments coping with the difficulties caused by the crisis. Indeed, Giuliani states, the "rich Europe" has lived high, much higher than it could afford and now the only way out is to put order in its finances to promote full recovery. Politics and common approach. Ongoing interventions, said the scholar, consist in "unconfident attempts to adopt mid-way solutions hoping to curb repercussions while awaiting for a hypothetical recovery of growth". France, for example, has refused to introduce the "golden rule" in its Constitution, justifying its decision with "singular juridical motivations" which only politics devise. Indeed, Giuliani said, the major parties of European democratic countries agree that politics should govern, but it’s equally true that "electoral games" don’t comply with a common programmatic approach. "This is a shame – Giuliani said – since if such approach were applied citizens would be made aware of the truth, and most of all, if would provide authentic prospects instead of temporary efforts".The role of the European bank. The main victim of this tendency is "the European building whereby egoisms prevail over cooperation and harmony between peoples". European governments are discussing the solutions to the crisis, knowing that they have been "sentenced" to mutual understanding, although they don’t always manage to reach an agreement. Giuliani also addresses the role of the European Central Bank (BCE) "the only federal institution in the EU", whose "pedagogical politics" is particularly effective. When national governments accept to make further efforts, progressing further in the direction of indispensable economic integration, the ECB provides fundamental support. "This was the case of Greece – the president said – when the governments created the European Financial Stability Fund, with the situation of Portugal and Ireland, which led to the establishment of an authentic European Monetary fund (ESM)".The euro shouldn’t questioned. The ECB thus launched a program for refinancing operations instead of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance (TSCG). The same will happen in the case of Italy and Spain, currently tacking ambitious reforms and policies, which the ECB won’t enable "speculators" to "eliminate", Giuliani said. "In fact – he points out – this role play brings to the fore the weak nerves of the financial markets, but it also boosts economic integration, speeding up the pace of solutions to the crisis much more than diplomatic conferences do". Thus it is useless to "endlessly speculate on the possibility of a member state exiting the eurozone or on the failure of the single currency. This issue is linked to the strategic project on the continent’s pacification, and will no longer be questioned".Sovereignty and sharing. It’s time to make a choice: wither to continue slow integration rates, marked by strong efforts, or decrease the suffering with a "quality leap in the direction of a ‘political’ Union that Angela Merkel has already publicly called for". It is no longer a question of denying national sovereignty. Instead, it should be recovered fully with shared economic regulations, critical to the adoption of a single currency". Banking union, financial union, fiscal union, are "envisaged by the programme" and electoral deadlines cannot oppose them. "The time will certainly come when our weak efforts will provide renewed strength to Europe and to the euro currency – Giuliani assures – but it will happen at the cost of serious political and economic damage that can be avoided". If this trend continues, "the crisis will last a long time". Thus, for Giuliani, only by "accepting a rupture, a circumscribed quality leap, limited to the need of true economic governance of the euro currency, and most of all, by adopting the necessary reforms, will we save time and fruitless debates". "Europe will emerge stronger from the crisis", is the forecast launched by the president. "Member States are tasked with deciding the timeframe".