Prodi: If we let the European Union die, civilization dies too

Romano Prodi, former President of the European Commission, now head of the Foundation for Cooperation between Peoples, assessed that nationalism and populism in Europe are a passing phase and that Europe still possesses intellectual strength and a common message of great importance.

"I believe that Europe still possesses an intellectual strength and a common message of great importance. The problem is not to let it disappear in the madness of failed integration, of a failed Union, which we need," Prodi said in an interview with Focus Europe - Italy on the sidelines of the "Conference on the Future of Europe", recently held in Siena.

Prodi assessed that "the EU, albeit slowly, has become a necessity."

"That's why I don't believe that this phase of nationalism and populism is final. As long as Europe exists, populism is a passing phase. Our destiny, if we want to survive, is European unity," he added.

According to him, building at least a certain European identity "takes time, because it is the first political creation in history that was not created by weapons, but by democratic consent."

"Of course I am disappointed with the slowness. But I am convinced that we are not at the end of the European mission," Prodi added in an interview carried by the EUalive portal.

Prodi said that the EU's problem is the "madness of unanimity" and that he advocates "a transition from unanimity to a democratic Europe, or rather from the paralysis of unanimity to a Europe of multiple circles, at different levels of integration."

"Europe functions and progresses through democracy and I believe that, sooner or later, it will happen. Of course, this phase of populism makes things difficult. But it is a process that does not stop, unless it leads to suicide. Earlier you reminded us that civilizations disappear. Well, if we allow Europe to disappear, civilization will disappear too," Prodi concluded.

The former Italian Prime Minister also said that in the elections to be held in 2027, citizens of France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, Finland, Estonia and Slovakia, which is approximately two-thirds of Europeans, will have a common issue - the continuation or termination of the European integration process.

"To be clear, no country will leave the European Union... The only case was the United Kingdom, but it acted as a vaccine in that regard, because the failure of Brexit guarantees that no one will leave the Union again. However, a possible victory for anti-European parties would mean a Europe that would be little more than a free trade zone. That would be a tragedy, because a crippled Europe would make it impossible for us to play any role in the world," he added.

Prodi assessed that the sum of the results of next year's elections will certainly determine the speed and direction of Europe's development.

"If, in some countries, the outcome is negative, the European Union will not fall apart, but it could be paralyzed - and we don't know for how long," he said.

Speaking about the relationship with the US, Prodi said that "it has now become generally accepted that Europe is alone" and that "the US is no longer Europe's brother by definition."

"It's a change I've witnessed throughout my life. I started with the Bushes, who were not part of my political party, but were Europeans by definition, even in jest. Then came Clinton, who, thanks to his political intelligence, became a European. He didn't start out that way, but he became one. For Obama, Copenhagen and Singapore were the same thing. Then came Trump, openly hostile to Europe. But there's no going back to the understanding that the US and Europe are brothers by definition," he said.