A project of hope

As the New Year unfolds it must be remembered that the unification of Europe is a project of hope: hope in long-lasting peace that can be achieved by overcoming national egoisms and protagonist claims. In all likelihood this hope will come true, as is demonstrated with the implementation of the European project that has been ongoing for 60 years. But its defeat is also acknowledged as a possibility. Indeed, as it is yet to be brought to completion, the project could fail. Also its concrete realization as a European Union is still experiencing a precarious phase, highlighted by the uncertainties regarding the Euro currency, which in 2010 caused much restlessness and triggered hot debates.Moreover, the hope in a long-lasting peace – entailing wellbeing, freedom and social progress – is dynamic, thus the unification process is continuous. This process, founded with the purpose of creating a supranational system of political relations in Europe, based upon federal and democratic principles, follows the logic of all things: the decisions taken in various political areas, i.e. business, currency, security, the Constitution, etc. as provided for in the Treaties, always prompt the need for further steps leading towards integration, in order to establish the current provisional system for good. Naturally, the logic of things doesn’t imply automatisms. Every single decision requires political initiatives; its developments must be followed whilst addressing outcomes and motivations. The fact that each time also the real or supposed interests of governments, institutions, and political parties, call for moderation is part and parcel of the federal and democratic rules which the European Union pledged to abide by with the Treaties. An example and a confirmation of how the logic of things unfolds is the evolution of the European monetary system determined by the economic crisis that took place over the past year. Namely, since it became evident that the Stability Pact – which obliged eurozone States to comply with sound budget planning, so as to ensure the sound development of the common currency – had failed, it became necessary to rapidly create a system of protection to save Countries from bankruptcy, thus protecting the Euro currency from an irreparable loss of value and trust. But it was soon realized that it failed to protect the common currency on the long run. Thus the “European Stability Mechanism” was created. Its requisites are new rules, whose respect is no longer left to the sovereignty, (or rather, to the arbitrament) of its members, as was the case of the failed stability pact. In fact, the Mechanism is guaranteed by Community control, and is liable to sanctions. In this way also the political-and-institutional system of the European Union, extending beyond the Treaty of Lisbon, undergoes further evolution in the direction of a federal legislation. The heads of Government or State gathered at the European Council on December 16-17 decided to expand the Treaty in this direction. On that occasion, on the basis of logical principles, greater coordination of fiscal and budget policy was also proposed, which paves the way to a potential economic government, namely, a common economic policy, which until now was considered a – duly examined and strenuously defended – prerogative of national sovereignty.It is the ambition to serve the political unity of Europe (thus the peace in Europe and across the world), which gives a meaning to the European Union. Also in the economic realm, it can succeed only with the progress of political unification, at the same pace as the creation of the constitutional framework of this unity.