Mattarella at the Arraiolos summit: three challenges for Europe
The President of the Republic at the summit in Slovenia: faster decisions, common defense and ambitious EU budget
Quick Look
- At the Arraiolos summit in Slovenia, President Sergio Mattarella indicated three key points for the EU: the European dimension against challenges, more streamlined decisions and an ambitious budget.
- There is also room for common defense and enlargement.
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Why It Matters
The Arraiolos summit brings together the non-executive heads of state of several European Union countries.
He was the first to speak at the Arraiolos summit in Slovenia. "The oldest and most respected" defines him as the president of Slovenia Pirc Musar and also for this reason Mattarella's words were listened to and - above all - shared. There were three fundamental concepts which, after all, he has been repeating for some time but in the light of the European Council, they make even more sense.
First: Europe is faced with "extraordinary challenges" that cannot be faced by individual countries, therefore a European dimension is needed. Thinking you can do it alone - says the head of state - would be "an escape from reality, an act of self-harm".
Second: in this dimension it is necessary to equip the EU «with more streamlined and faster decision-making methods. Without speed of decisions these problems, in international life, would be decided by other subjects and in Europe they would suffer their choices".
Third: the negotiation on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework is "decisive" because it will not only be about the distribution of resources but about the vision of the future and therefore the "level of ambition with which Europe intends to face the ongoing transformations. I hope it is adequately ambitious."
Naturally he returns to talking about common defense, a topic on the table not just now but since Putin decided to invade Ukraine and - even more so - after Trump's progressive disalignment from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. And also for this reason he says that «not many words are needed regarding the need for common defense, interoperability of our military instruments, both because it is an indispensable condition for common defense and to strengthen NATO on the European side, to restore the balance with respect to Russia's posture». Balance, he adds, which is "a guarantee of peace, nullifying temptations of aggression". He then insists, as he has done for some time, on the dossier of enlargement to the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine and Moldova but, he specifies, "a Union of well over thirty members could not live with the current decision-making methods".
Open Questions
- Which countries will accept the reform of EU decision-making methods?
