As Europeans prepare to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome on March 25, 1957, centrifugal forces have never seemed so strong. This situation calls for a renewed effort from Europeans to rediscover the path to unity and a collective project.
Weakened by the growing distrust of citizens and by Brexit, the European Union seems to be at a turning point in its history.
The anniversary of the Treaty of Rome should not be merely a commemoration. On the contrary, it should serve as an opportunity to lay the foundations for a Europe rebuilt on more solid bases, in line with the expectations of the people.
It is concretely about reclaiming the “spirit of Rome” by outlining paths that will allow Europe to rediscover the meaning it should never have lost, in the service of the prosperity and protection of European peoples.
Europe must first refocus on the essentials, where its added value can be clearly identified. As the Union remains a federation of nation-states and not a federal state, the sharing of sovereignty must be balanced.
The multiple crises – sovereign debt, migrants, security, Brexit – have highlighted the difficulties Europeans face in implementing fast and clear responses; they lead to questioning the institutional functioning of the Union.
The states must demonstrate their European commitment by collectively defining what they want from Europe. The role of driving and coordination of the European Council must therefore be reaffirmed, and the European Commission must be profoundly reformed.
It essentially involves returning to the original spirit of the founding fathers, with an extranational Commission that is focused, political, made up of high-level experts, promoting the general interest, and not a supranational Commission tempted by overregulation.
By signing the Treaty of Rome 60 years ago, Europeans showed incredible boldness in removing the barriers that had divided their continent for centuries.
Today, they have no choice but to show the same boldness if they want to avoid the disintegration of the European project.
by Garibaldino
