Rome, 6 September 2024 – “If Europe does not reform, the Union dies“. In the midst of Italian gossip, dealing with the Boccia-Sangiuliano case (read here), the dramatic intervention of Mario Draghi. A speech that, let’s say, is slightly more important. The former prime minister and central banker presented, both to the diplomatic representatives of the member countries and to the parliamentary group leaders, the report on the future of the competitiveness of the European economy, which had been entrusted to him last year by the European Commission. According to information gathered in Brussels, Draghi stressed the urgency for institutions to cooperate with each other and the need to reflect on possible institutional reforms.:
“In closing, I would like to tell you one thing: if these reforms are not made, if we do not intervene in this direction, Europe is finished. I repeat: it is finished. I tell you this because this is my worst nightmare. frequent”
Europe, a continent in crisis
Harsh, strong, unequivocal words, aimed at awakening a sleeping continent, starting with the major international issues, where Europe does not touch the ball. In Ukraine – apart from the billions in aid sent and the sanctions imposed on Moscow – the EU is powerless, it cannot go beyond a certain red line. In Palestine, there is not even a shadow of Europe. And Atlantic solidarity, which has kept Europe safe since the Second World War, is slowly disappearing, and above all in Italy a certain sense of anti-Americanism permeated part of the population is making itself felt again, a sentiment that has never completely subsided.
But that’s not all. The European Union is lagging behind in capacity for innovation (Artificial Intelligence first and foremost) the increase in energy prices (also due to the war in Ukraine, but the conflict has made Europe’s dependencies on Moscow evident), the lack of skilled laborthe need to rapidly accelerate the digitalisation process and urgently strengthen Europe’s common defence capabilitieswhich is still dotted with individual national armies. We are at a standstill.
Europe is falling back, China is advancing at an unsustainable pace
All this while China is becoming richer and more powerful: it is only at the beginning of its economic boom, and is preparing to compete for world domination with the Americans. China alone will produce a quarter of the world’s GDP within a few years, and almost 1.5 billion people live there, a quarter of the world’s population. Mind-boggling numbers.
Let’s be clear: China’s economic explosion comes at a high price, which is paid for by the restriction of individual freedoms, on which Europe and the entire West still have much to teach. However, the Old Continent is unable to adequately respond to the Technological Revolution underway: in the coming decades, thousands of jobs will no longer exist, with machines working in place of men. A potential social bomb. Artificial Intelligence cannot be contained, it must be ridden. And to do so, we must first realize the problem. A first step? Heed Draghi’s appeal. But now. There’s no more time to waste.
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