'Super Mario' has a recipe for relaunching the EU
Draghi bets on the United States of Europe against the pincer movement of Trump and Xi
RomeFormer European Central Bank president Mario Draghi has never hesitated to call things by their name. "With these, let's call them what they are, dictators with whom we have to collaborate, we must be honest when expressing differing viewpoints, but we must cooperate." On that occasion, he was referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. as a result of the sexist protocol imposed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen During an official visit, the Italian Prime Minister's candor cost Rome a diplomatic incident with Ankara, one of its main trading partners, although things didn't escalate. Five years have passed since that episode, and Draghi is no longer at the head of the Italian government or the ECB, but with the benefit of hindsight, that statement could have been made today if, instead of the President of Turkey, the target of his criticism were a certain leader of a Western country. "We are facing the United States, which, at least in its current position, emphasizes the costs it has borne, ignoring the advantages it has gained. It imposes tariffs on Europe, threatens our territorial interests, and makes it clear, for the first time, that it believes European political fragmentation benefits its interests," he warned.
In a speech delivered at the Catholic University of Louvain, Draghi called for Europe to federalize itself to avoid being crushed between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "To become a power, Europe must move from being a confederation to a federation," he declared bluntly.
New world order
The former banker asserted that the international order that has sustained European growth for decades has ended, but that the problem is not the end of this model, nor the danger of a new equilibrium emerging. "The real threat is what will come next," he warned. "A world with fewer rules and less exchange would be painful, but manageable. The real danger is a system dominated by powers that use trade, technology, and energy as geopolitical weapons, leaving Europe at the mercy of external decisions."
According to Super MarioAn EU incapable of defending its own economic and strategic interests will not be able to preserve even its founding values for long. "Of all those now caught in the US-China pincer movement, only Europeans have the possibility of becoming a real power," said Draghi, before issuing an ultimatum that still resonates in Brussels and other European capitals. "We must decide: Do we want to remain a large single market, subject to the priorities of others? Or do we want to take the necessary steps to become a power?" Draghi has no doubts. "Where Europe has federated—in trade, competition, the single market, and monetary policy—we are respected as a power and negotiate as a single entity," he emphasized. "Where we have not—in defense, industrial policy, and foreign affairs—we are treated as a disparate collection of medium-sized states, which can be divided and dealt with accordingly."
In an increasingly polarized EU, divided between those who want more Europe and those who, in the name of sovereignty, want less, Draghi proposes a kind of United States of Europe, but only for those willing to get on board. A "pragmatic" federalism, he emphasized. "We must take the steps that are currently possible, with interested partners, in the areas where progress can be made today. The door remains open to others, but not to those who would compromise the common goal."
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni belongs to the second group. The prime minister shares her predecessor's view on the need for an independent EU in defense matters, but advocates for maintaining national sovereignty intact. The Italian leader is not alone; quite the contrary. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Robert Fico in Slovakia, and Andrej Babiš in the Czech Republic also oppose greater European integration.
Only French President Emmanuel Macron—who indirectly launched the former ECB president's candidacy for the Commission or the European Council after the 2024 elections—could publicly support the "Draghi plan." The French president is one of the few voices that has spoken out against the thuggery Trump defending a more sovereign and autonomous Europe. However, his authority in foreign policy contrasts with his weakness in France.
It is not the first time that Draghi has warned of the risks facing the EU, but never before has his speech sounded so prophetic. He will probably repeat it when he sits at the table with European leaders on February 12 at the summit convened to try to implement at least some of his recommendations on competitiveness. The question is who among those present is willing to follow the recipe of Super Mario.
