President of S&D group at the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, talks about the elections hold in France, asking a new model of Europe
English version of my interview for Eunews. (Click here to read the original Italian version)
Regional elections in France have seen a great victory of the far right party of Front Nation, the political party against some of the key pillars of the EU project such as Schengen and the single currency. Gianni Pittella, the president of S&D group at the European Parliament explained Eunews that in France terrorism and migrant have not been the reason behind Marine Le Pen's political victory, on the contrary these two elements were just the last drop in the glass. Europe, stated Pittella, is facing the consequences of years of austerity which have caused frustration among the European citizens. At the same time the EU produced inefficient policies as shown by the migrant crisis, where according to Pittella «those who don't participate to the scheme must be sanctioned in the same way countries are sanctioned in case of not compliance with the Stability and growth pact».
What does the French elections mean and which scenario can we expect for Europe?
«The real shock is we are shocked by the outcome. Front National won because of a very difficult social and economic situation which is lasting years producing a lot of victims within the SMEs, medium size enterprises and savers. It is not terrorism, it is years of austerity imposed to Europe by conservative governments to have granted the victory to Marine Le Pen. We have been repeating it since long time».
Is Le Pen's political party victory just an isolated French case, or can we imagine a domino effect in Europe?
«Discontent is very widespread in Europe, and such a discontent flows in movements that more than others can use this feeling through formulas which are simple and simplistic but easy to transmit to the citizens. At this point any tie amongst these movements are over. Marine Le pen and the Front National have nothing in common with Matteo Salvini, who just imitates his French colleague. The same applies to the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has nothing to share with the UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The real threat is that Europe can remain victim of national egoisms and fall into disintegration».
So don't you believe the French elections can empower Salvini's Lega Nord in Italy?
«I doubt that somebody, maybe some elector, can thing voting for Salvini just because the Front Nation won in France. Until the government led by Matteo Renzi will reform Italy with courage and commitment pushing for change in Europe, I don't see how Salvini can be a real and valid alternative to the current government. Salvini represents the "anti" people, and I want to remark how Salvini's political experiment in the Souther Italy has failed. Maybe my people, the people of South of Italy, shows intelligence and immunity from empty slogans».
How to reply to anti-Europe in Europe?
«The only way to exit this crisis is delivering. Citizens are fed up of prittle-prattle, and they are right. In these months the European Parliament has been an important pressure power to force the European Commission to produce actions and measures of progressivist nature. Amongst these measures I recall the resolution of the Greek crisis, a new interpretation of the flexibility foreseen by the Stability and growth pact, the Juncker's investment plan and the binding mechanism scheme for the relocation of migrants. Unfortunately we have the bottleneck of the EU Council, where governments block, stop and in certain way boycott the most important decisions. The European Parliament and our group are there, and it has been proved. We need a new European governance to reform the institutional mechanism, which clearly doesn't work. To do that we need the political will of the Member State, and the Italian government has all the skills to bring a change in Europe».
The mechanism scheme for migrant relocation doesn't seem to work and it doesn't like to Le Pen's political party as well as to many eastern Member States. Do we risk new anti-immigration alliances?
«We need a mechanism of sanctions. Those who don't comply to the decision taken by the Council and by the Commission must be sanctioned as countries are sanctioned in case of not compliance with the Stability and growth pact. Solidarity must be binding, otherwise we have charity».
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| Gianni Pittella |
Regional elections in France have seen a great victory of the far right party of Front Nation, the political party against some of the key pillars of the EU project such as Schengen and the single currency. Gianni Pittella, the president of S&D group at the European Parliament explained Eunews that in France terrorism and migrant have not been the reason behind Marine Le Pen's political victory, on the contrary these two elements were just the last drop in the glass. Europe, stated Pittella, is facing the consequences of years of austerity which have caused frustration among the European citizens. At the same time the EU produced inefficient policies as shown by the migrant crisis, where according to Pittella «those who don't participate to the scheme must be sanctioned in the same way countries are sanctioned in case of not compliance with the Stability and growth pact».
What does the French elections mean and which scenario can we expect for Europe?
«The real shock is we are shocked by the outcome. Front National won because of a very difficult social and economic situation which is lasting years producing a lot of victims within the SMEs, medium size enterprises and savers. It is not terrorism, it is years of austerity imposed to Europe by conservative governments to have granted the victory to Marine Le Pen. We have been repeating it since long time».
Is Le Pen's political party victory just an isolated French case, or can we imagine a domino effect in Europe?
«Discontent is very widespread in Europe, and such a discontent flows in movements that more than others can use this feeling through formulas which are simple and simplistic but easy to transmit to the citizens. At this point any tie amongst these movements are over. Marine Le pen and the Front National have nothing in common with Matteo Salvini, who just imitates his French colleague. The same applies to the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has nothing to share with the UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The real threat is that Europe can remain victim of national egoisms and fall into disintegration».
So don't you believe the French elections can empower Salvini's Lega Nord in Italy?
«I doubt that somebody, maybe some elector, can thing voting for Salvini just because the Front Nation won in France. Until the government led by Matteo Renzi will reform Italy with courage and commitment pushing for change in Europe, I don't see how Salvini can be a real and valid alternative to the current government. Salvini represents the "anti" people, and I want to remark how Salvini's political experiment in the Souther Italy has failed. Maybe my people, the people of South of Italy, shows intelligence and immunity from empty slogans».
How to reply to anti-Europe in Europe?
«The only way to exit this crisis is delivering. Citizens are fed up of prittle-prattle, and they are right. In these months the European Parliament has been an important pressure power to force the European Commission to produce actions and measures of progressivist nature. Amongst these measures I recall the resolution of the Greek crisis, a new interpretation of the flexibility foreseen by the Stability and growth pact, the Juncker's investment plan and the binding mechanism scheme for the relocation of migrants. Unfortunately we have the bottleneck of the EU Council, where governments block, stop and in certain way boycott the most important decisions. The European Parliament and our group are there, and it has been proved. We need a new European governance to reform the institutional mechanism, which clearly doesn't work. To do that we need the political will of the Member State, and the Italian government has all the skills to bring a change in Europe».
The mechanism scheme for migrant relocation doesn't seem to work and it doesn't like to Le Pen's political party as well as to many eastern Member States. Do we risk new anti-immigration alliances?
«We need a mechanism of sanctions. Those who don't comply to the decision taken by the Council and by the Commission must be sanctioned as countries are sanctioned in case of not compliance with the Stability and growth pact. Solidarity must be binding, otherwise we have charity».
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