Conference on the future of Europe, or the failure of Europe

Presented as the highest achievement of the EU democracy, the initiative is nothing but the proof of the incapability of an entire leadership with no vision

by Emanuele Bonini

Conference on the future of Europe. Everybody has been talking since the beginning, since the initiative was launched in 2019. An unprecedented event, presented as the most prominent moment in the European democratic life. The Conference (also known as COFOE) is «a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future». That’s how the European Commission described this historic moment never experienced before. Whatever the intention can be, please forget about enthusiasm and call the COFOE for what is in reality: a failure. A failure of an entire political system and its leadership.

Why is the COFOE a failure? In order to better understand we need to come back to the past, when everything started. When in 1951 the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was signed, no Conference on the future of Europe took place. When six years later the European Economic Community (EEC) was founded, no citizen-led debates were held. The history of the European integration has always been about political decisions. Everything happened because of governments working together on behalf of their respective peoples. That’s how representative democracy works.

Citizens are called to elect men and women who have the duty to take initiatives and decisions for them. Today this system is not functioning anymore. Elected people are incapable of taking any initiative, so they are obliged to ask their electors what to do.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, stated that «people need to be at the very centre of all our policies». She also expressed the wish that «all Europeans will actively contribute to the Conference on the Future of Europe and play a leading role in setting the European Union’s priorities».

Here comes the real issue. It shouldn't be up to citizens to set up political priorities, politicians should. If the latter cannot make it out, then they should be replaced by more capable and courageous decision makers. Yes, courage. It is a matter of courage and visions. The so called leaders and the supposed-to-be leaders don’t lead. They don’t decide. They have no vision, and so they cannot provide perspectives. 

The others

After the lockdown Italians made beaches and mountains overcrowded, while many people stayed home because of fear of contagion. On the 'other' via Francigena Elisa and Gabriella showed how to be panic free while remaning safe.

 by Emanuele Bonini

No fear. No panic. Keep calm and carry on. Or, well! Keep calm and walk on. That’s exactly what two young Italian ladies do in times of Coronovirus. Despite all, they walk the line linking the central part of Italy to the south-eastern region Apulia. Elisa and Gabriella, marching on together, set off on discovery of their land, for an 800 kilometers long adventure, step more, step less.

The two young ladies have been covering 25 kilometers per day, on average. The departure took place 10 day ago, in Velletri, 40 kilometers far from Rome. Arrival foreseen 5 October, in Santa Maria di Leuca. The long march has been located along the Via Francigena. Not the official one, rather the less know twin path. In the Middle Ages, Via Francigena was the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north. It put in connection, and still does, the Eternal City with the rest of Europe. There is also a pilgrimage route connecting Rome with Jerusalem, and that's exactly the one chosen by Elisa and her comrade.

In somehow the so-called 'Southern Via Francigena' is a prolongation of the main route, even if it has no official recognition compared to the real, northern, Via Francigena. No problem. On the contrary, the fact that this pedestrian itinerary is less popular makes it less populated, and that's very positive in times where gatherings and crowds are kindly recommended to be avoided.

 

EU citizens ready to reject the establishment

Next European elections will take place on May, 2019. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 56% of voters believe new parties and movement can bring real change

 by Emanuele Bonini

The European Union as it has been till now seems doomed to become a memory of the time that was. If figures are going to be confirmed by vote, the next European Parliament will be in majority formed by anti-system MEPs. The majority of the European is ready to bet on the anti-establishment politcal forces, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

Marine Le Pen’s Front National, Geert Wilders’ Pvv, Matteo Salvini’s Northern League, Luigi di Maio’s 5 Star Movements… All these parties are considered as the real alternative to the non-proper functioning of the European Union.

According to the survey, more than the majority of the Europeans believe new political parties can better change and shape Europe. That’s true for the 52% of the people living the Eurozone and for the 56% of those in the non-single currency zone of the EU. Overall, the 56% of the asked people is of the idea that «We need a real change and this is what these parties and movements can bring», with Italy – one of the EU founder Member States – with the most anti-establishment sentiment recorded among all the (currently) 28 Countries (71%).

Safe web and preventive censorship, a thin red line

Social media use to intervene against contents «allegded to be infringing,without prior notice», at their sole discretion. A controversial regime applied in name of proper use and security

by Emanuele Bonini (English version of my Eunews article)

Copyright infringements, incitement to racial or ethnic hatred, cheesecake picture or even porn content, violence. There are several cases of back out and removal of what is posted on-line. Such activities are carried out by the social media themselves, but in most of cases the reporting of inadequate posts and messages is left to the internet users. But who can really say what is right and what is wrong? diversity of opinions and different degree of susceptibility, risk to trigger a short-circuit in the network made by ‘lightly’ complaints with immediate consequences. Twitter, Blogger (the Google blog platform), Facebook and Istagram all have more or less the same conditions and terms of use (ToU) of their services. There is of course, as it’s right it is, a control of surfers. Nevertheless this policy control poses a certain question marks on the way it is applied, since in name of a ‘clean’ and safe web the risk of a real preventive censorship is there.

Presumption of guilt, preventive and discretionary removal
The network is vast, and the number of users – especially those of certain social media – virtually boundless. Monitoring everything that is written is not an easy task. And then the principle of preventive intervention applies. Blogger offers an example. The team can send at any time e-mails like the following:

 

«Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits). If you believe that you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim».

The DMCA is a US copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. What has to be noticed is that intervetions are made on the basis of possible infringement. Is a post ‘alleged to infringe’ the rules or in them violation? There is a huge difference between having an illegal situation or a situation thought to be illegal. Anyway, in case of doubt the giants of the internet carry out preventive censorship.
Having a look to the Twitter ToU, it is possible to read that «We reserve the right to remove Content alleged to be infringing without prior notice, at our sole discretion, and without liability to you». In return of being ‘responsibilities-free’, Twitter can basically do whatever the social media likes. Once again rules refer to contents presumed to be irregular, to be treated with immediate and not-communicated removal. The same policy applied to Facebook services. Once again, in case of a report from a rights owner claiming content on Facebook infringes their intellectual property rights, «we may need to promptly remove that content from Facebook without contacting you first. If you believe the content should not have been removed, you can follow up with them directly to try to resolve the issue». First complain, then delete. Only after try to negotiate. Instagram doesn’t act differently. «We reserve the right to modify or terminate the Service or your access to the Service for any reason, without notice, at any time, and without liability to you», states the terms of use of the photo-sharing service.

Italy a real problem as no-vax war set in EU agenda

«Unacceptable» for the European Commission chief that in 2017 children still die for measles. Figures suggest is time for remedies, called vaccinations

A US measles information leaflet. Click to enlarge

by Emanuele Bonini

A spectre is haunting Europe, the spectre of sickness. All the powers of Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre, except the Italians. It could be argued that Karl Marx, philosophy and history are all serious things. Perhaps health is not? Of course it is, otherwise the Italian no-vax culture would had never become a matter of urgence. How to explain the lack of vaccinations in Italy in the politica agenda of the EU? In no other way but that. Care and healthcare are supposed to be prerogative of sovereign countries, but apparently in certain cases they don't care. So here comes the need of intervention. The president of the European Commission stressed it clearly in his State of the Union speech, and that was astonishing as is the Italian state of play. The latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) help a lot in catching the spectre which is annoying the continent. Only in 2017, as of 13 September, Italy has reported 4.487 measles cases, making the country the 5th in the world for highest infection rate. Worse than Italy made India, Nigeria, Pakistan and PRC, all developing or underdeveloped countries.

Shame and shake. Antivaxers are ashaming Italy and shaking Europe. «Measles outbreaks continue to occur in a number of EU/EEA countries», the ECDC noticed. Italy and Romania are the main EU countries where such infections take place, as also detected by the World Health Organization (not updated data compared to those from the ECDC). Thus, «there is a risk of spread and sustained transmission in areas with susceptible populations». According to Jean-Claude Juncker «it is unacceptable that in 2017 there are still children dying of diseases that should long have been eradicated in Europe». In other words, what the president of the European Commission ment without saying, a modern Europe can't afford to have neither medievalist forces nor third world poverty dynamics. «Children in Romania or Italy must have the same access to measles vaccines as children in other European countries. No ifs, no buts». So antivaxers, please go home! «Avoidable deaths must not occur in Europe, and we are working with all Member States to support national vaccination efforts». So work Italy? Just in case, the ECDC recalled that «vaccination with at least two doses remains the most effective measure» against measles outbreaks. Oops!


Related articles: 
EU commissioner declared war on antivaxers

Brexit to hit literary legend's isle

Corto Maltese, a «cult» character of the best of the European graphic novel genre, had official residence in Antigua, where consequences from the anti-EU referendum are expected

by Emanuele Bonini

History proved Corto Maltese was right, in the end. Antigua is a good place for a domicile, not a good a place to live in. Even Gibraltar has become a country just to pass through, a destination probably good nothing but for hit and run visits. And that's true especially today, in time of Brexit, whose waves propagate so far to reach and shake the crystalline waters of the Caribbean. In this part of the world many of the countries under the British crown, both formally and «de facto» still continue to be heavily dependent on the United Kingdom. Commercial supplies, special financing, tourism: the British are worth a lot here, and Antigua make no exceptions. Around the 17.7% of local wealth depends on tourism, driven for one third by UK nationals now not in the condition to sustain higher travel costs. With the UK out of the great play of the EU, import-export flows won't be possible any longer unless new commercial agreements are arranged. Because of British EU membership trade, aid, and investment relations between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States countries, included Antigua, has been with the EU.

In perspective what has been until today can't be taken for granted any longer. After Brexit Antigua, as well as all the CARICOM group, won't be in the position to trade with London because the latter will have become a third Country. New partnership will be needed, with CARICOM not on the top of the British agenda. If living in Antigua could previously seem not to be a good idea, it doesn't appear to be the wisest choice given the current times. So farewell, Corto!

Europe needs migrants, EU report shows

According to the 2017 edition of the European Commission's ESDE review extra-EU people are key to solve the issue of the economic demographic decline

by Emanuele Bonini

Intolerance can't be the answer, fences can't be the political agenda. EU countries need migrants more than ever to address the demographic challenge and its future implication, a study from the European Commission revealed today. Without people coming Europe will collapse, it basically says. Europeans are getting older, and the active population in the labour market is projected to shrink by 0.3% every year with all the consequences. Nowadays there are four working-age people per pensioner, in 2060 they will be just two. «No further migration would exacerbate the demographic challenge», states the document. «Without any further net migration into the EU from now on, the decline of the working-age population would be much stronger» than foreseen.

The 2017 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) review offers two different scenarios, by which in 2040 the the active EU population could decline to 247 million people or even to 210 million people. With less active people available and more pensions to pay, future poses critical challenges for the 27+1 EU member States. The only possibility at disposal to host migrants and integrated them into the social and labour environment. «Higher net immigration would allow growth in the working age population to resume in the medium term», according to the 268 pages report. In time of fence-building, it appears hard to see national governments allowing asylum seeker applicants come and stay. Decision makers should therefore revise their immigration policies.

Fact-checking, or the index of our failure

More than a journalistic exercise. Today is a systemic need to get away from an increasingly widespread practice of hide the truth

by Emanuele Bonini

Truth, truth, nothing but truth. Apparently the real world is lost in fakes. There is no other explanation for the new season of fact-checking exploded all across Europe and beyond. Newspapers, newswires and websites are more and more focused on searching for truth. In normal times and normal conditions, normality foreseen that journalists verify what they have to write before publishing it. Checking before publish is an obligation linked to the fair activity of every single reporter, but here something is wrong. But we don't live in normal times. Distortion and misinformation are the new practice. There's nothing wrong in journalist, apart from being part of this corrupted system.

In the internet era getting a clear image of what world is about is today more and more complex and complicated. Thousends of thousends of websites flourish in number and actvity, promoting and stimulating debates on everything. Most of the times negating the truth, and here we come to the true big issue: in web we trust. If the internet becomes the community of virtual information, the real world becomes virtual, too. Internet is the place where people get informed. But internet is an unsafe space. Fake news are our every day meal, and media are obliged to follow the rules of a game radically changed. People are finding in the so-called «alternative» source of information their main landmark. Real information producers have lost in confidence and credibility, and have been forced to work in order to regain a missing trust by verifying the supposed reliability of the «alternative truths».

EU Court ruled out ticket flight refunds for bird strikes

Accidents have unpredictable nature and damages occurred are out of the air carrier control

by Emanuele Bonini

Mind the birds. Like in one of the most famous Alfred Hitchcock's movies, the Birds, winged animals can be dangerous and harmful, especially for your pocket. Because of them, you can miss your flight, your journey and your money. According to the the European Court of Justice, delays lasting more than three hours can't be refundable in case of technical problems due to birds. Although bird strikes are episodes not so rare to happen, for the EU judiciary body such events can't be foreseen and not even predicted. That means air carrier are exempted from refunding passengers for their tickets. The EU legislation foresee that air passengers have the right to be reimbursed every time occurs a delay of more than three hours. This happens even in case of technical problems, but not if these are produced of birds got into the plane engine.

There is not only the unpredictable and exceptional nature of bird strikes to "save" air carriers from their repayment obligations. The ECJ ruled that the problems of caused by these accidents to the plane are out of control of the company and its personnel. This the reason why the Court decided to reject the appeal submitted by two European citizens who experienced a five hours delay flight in 2013. Birds are out there, so pay attention. Or simply be ready to pay.

EU commissioner declared war on antivaxers

Vytenis Andriukaitis, in charge of Health, made two though intervention against the category of people seen as «irresponsible» in Brussels

Vytenis Andriukaitis

by Emanuele Bonini

Wake up, folks! «Vaccines are one of the safest and most cost-effective ways to ensure public health and avoid preventable diseases», so what's wrong with you? The European Commission went on the attack of anti-vaccination movement. «Anti-vaccination myths and lack of knowledge can lead to people refusing vaccines, which in turn might open the door to disease outbreaks»,the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, said yesterday. It wasn't the first time he took position against the people in favour of abolishing the preparations that provide active acquired immunity to certain diseases. «Shame on you antivaxers!», the EU commissioner previously said in tweet posted on his official personal account.

In papers today: #Measles epidemic in Italy. 1st measles death in Portugal. Measles rise in Germany. Deplorable. Shame on you #antivaxers! pic.twitter.com/OvSuHmHHHw

— Vytenis Andriukaitis (@V_Andriukaitis) April 20, 2017

«It is distressing that some public figures irresponsibly use their position to contribute to distrust of vaccines», Andriukaitis then stated on the occasion of the European Immunisation Week. He recalled that the benefits of vaccines are a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion. About facts, «measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year, before widespread vaccination was put in place in 1980». Today the reality speaks different. «Thanks to Maurice Hilleman's measles vaccine this highly contagious disease is now preventable». Again, smallpox, once one of the world's most devastating diseases, was declared eradicated in 1980 following a global immunisation campaign led by World Health Organization (WHO).

Companies can proihibit the Islamic veil at work

At certain conditions the measure is not a discrimination, according to the ECJ

by Emanuele Bonini

The Islamic veil can be not allowed at work, according to the European Court of Justice in its verdict issued yesterday. The EU institution based in Luxembourg said companies can prohibit to wear political, philosophical and confessional dresses in name of the principle of neutrality, if explicit internal firm dispositions foresee it. The judgement was about two different cases involving the traditional female clothing typical of the Islamic culture, but in taking the decision a general principle was set by the European body.

On one hand the EU recognise freedom of religion, but on the other hand it is also recognised the right of neutrality for both public and private sector. In name of such principal, no political signs or cultural symbols can be exposed to public. The European Court of Justice thus admitted that a ban of Islamic veil doesn't constitute a form of preliminary discrimination. Of course, in order to don't generate discriminations such a ban can't be imposed only for a single person or a single category of groups, whatever they are (political, religious and so on). Furthermore, the ECJ clarified that in order to respect the right of neutrality, people are not allowed to show any peculiar signs in public, meaning that the Islamic veil can be kept for internal jobs and all those roles for which is not foreseen any relations with external people.

EU remedy to migration issue is children detention

The controversial proposal in the recommendation to the Member State, formally adopted today

"To migrate is a right. No jail for migrants"

by Emanuele Bonini

Children can be imprisoned as migrants, according to the latest proposal of the European Commission. The controversial rule is foreseen by the recommendation on making returns more effective when implementing the Directive on Returns. New dispositions have been adopted in principle last week, but formal adoption will take place when all language versions are available, which is expected to happen today, 8th of March. It means that from today the EU legislation can be applied in the tougher manner, and the Member States «should not preclude in their national legislation the possibility to place minors in detention, where this is strictly necessary to ensure the execution of a final return decision in sofar as Member States are not able to ensure less coercive measures than detention that  can be applied effectively in view of ensuring effective return».

In European Commission intentions, returns have to speeded up. In the meanwhile, irregular migrants have to be managed and kept on the EU territory until they are not sent back to their country of origin. It has written in the recommendation that «for the purpose of effectively ensuring removals of illegally staying third-country nationals, Member States should use detention as needed and appropriate, and in particular where there is a risk of absconding». A initial period of maximum six months of detention should be foreseen by national legislations, with the possibility of extent up to 18 months in case of need. In order to better deal with the phenomenon of irregular migrants - all those who are not entitled to apply for international protection - Member States are asked to put in place measures to effectively locate and apprehend third-country nationals staying illegally, wherever they are.

Time for low-cost medicines, said the EU Parliament

The Plenary passed a resolution calling for more affordable prices and full access to cure for all

by Emanuele Bonini

It is time to put and end to the high cost of medicines, said the European Parliament in a resolution approved in latest session of the Plenary by 568 votes to 30, with 52 abstentions. Pharmaceutical products have no-limits in price increase, making more and more difficult for people to get access to cures. The EU body thus decided to respond the needs of people by passing a text calling for measures to improve the traceability of R&D costs, public funding and marketing expenditure in name of transparency. Members of the Parliament adopted a non-legislative resolution, whose political message is however strong: medicines must be more affordable.

Barriers to medicines access. The resolution denounced how «in many cases the prices of new medicines have increased during the past few decades to the point of being unaffordable to many European citizens». All this happened despite ensuring patient access to essential medicines be one of the core objectives of the EU and the WHO. However the possibility of medicines depends on their timely availability and their affordability for everyone, without any geographical discrimination. Such conditions are not met, the MEPs complained. «Certain essential medicines are not available in many Member States, which can lead to problems with regard to patient care». This lack of basic pharmaceutical product is supposed to be due to «illegitimate business strategies, such as "pay for delay" in the pharmaceutical sector, or political, manufacturing or distribution issues, or parallel trade».

What «Orwellian» really means

Radical Islam growing in Belgium, agency warned

The body responsible for the national security registered the propagation of Wahhabism. Apparently Imams can't avoid it

by Emanuele Bonini

He is not alone, and he is not the only one. In Belgium there are more and more Salah Abdeslam. The Belgium-born French national of Moroccan descent and the symbol of the Paris terrorist attack of November 2015, have an increasing number of comrades. In Belgium Islamic fundamentalism is growing, the Coordinating Unit for Threat Analysis (OCAD) warned in its latest report. Islamic fundamentalism has been proliferating on the internet, and it penetrated worship places and prisons. OCAD noted in particular «a growing number of mosques and Islamic centres in Belgium, as elsewhere in Europe, under the influence of the Wahhabi Salafi missionary device». The phenomenon especially concerns Brussels, Vilvoorde, Mechelen and Antwerp, the urban zones at high Muslim presence. Wahhabism is the ultraconservative branch of Islam, totally closed to any form of modernity and strongly against the Western way of life.

Legacy of the past
Wahhabism is not new for Belgium. He officially entered into the kingdom at the end of 60's, when king Baudouin decided to give the Saudi community a place where praying. It happened in the occasion of Saudi king Faisal bin Abdelaziz's official visit to Belgium. The European country opened the door to the Sunni religious movement in exchange for oil. Radicalization started at that time, and now the situation seems to be not completely under control.
Extremists are becoming huge in number because of the web. On the internet there are a lot of recruitment channels, so many and so powerful that «moderate imams in their Mosques can't do anything in front of this media violence», according to OCAD. The Belgian authorities are working on a plan to counter radicalization: all security services have been asked to submit operational proposals, in order to put all into a draft of an integrated action plan. A Plan which doesn't exist yet. Meanwhile, extremists are increasing.

Crop-destroying worm to cause new African migrations

A new insect larvae «spreading rapidly», warned CABI. Risks of starvation and new refugees

by Emanuele  Bonini

A new migration crisis could be take place because of... A worm. In Africa there is the risk of food emergency, the non-profit organization CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) warned yesterday. According to the CABI experts it is proved that a crop-destroying armyworm caterpillar is now spreading rapidly across Mainland Africa, and could spread to tropical Asia and the Mediterranean in the next few years, becoming a major threat to agricultural trade worldwide. This kind of worm belongs to a very dangerous specie: it mostly affects maize (corn) but it has been recorded eating more than 100 different plant species, causing major damage to economically important cultivated grass crops such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane as well as other crops including cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, alfalfa, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, potato and cotton. A plague of suspected armyworms destroyed 2000 hectares of crop fields in Malawi and was spreading at «alarming rates», while in 2016 first signs of a potential problem where registered in Ghana, in the Gulf of Guinea region.

CABI called to immediate actions. «Following earlier reports from Nigeria, Togo and Benin, this shows they are clearly spreading very rapidly», pointed out CABI Chief Scientist, Dr. Matthew Cock. Without countermeasures Africa risks to be further destabilized and the theatre of new more global issues. «Urgent action will be needed to prevent devastating loses to crops and farmers’ livelihoods». Economic damages will create unrest, social problems and a new wave of migration. The story is well know in Europe, or so should be. The Irish Great Famine is there to recall what has to be avoided. In that case migration was just one of natural consequences. The fact now the problem is not in Europe is not enough to remain indifferent. It would be unfair, and blind too. People in starvation will come soon or late to Europe claiming for a loaf of bread. If not for love, western and European countries have the duty of intervene. Otherwise new tragedies and new migrants will come.

Time for rules against fake news on the web, said PACE

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted recommendations calling governments to act properly. Traceability amongst the measures proposed

by Emanuele Bonini

National governments should update domestic legislations on press and publishing in order to guarantee the accountability of the on-line content and tackle the fake-news phenomenon, the Council of Europe said today in a recommendation passed by 127 votes to 2 with 5 abstentions. The international organization based in Strasbourg called to act against the misinformation produced through new media channels, since the line between what could be considered a legitimate attempt to express own views seeking to persuade and what is disinformation and manipulation «is frequently crossed». Facebook, twitter, individual blogs, non-journalistic platforms: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) noted, «with concern, the number of on-line media campaigns designed to misguide sectors of the public through intentionally biased or false information, of hate campaigns against individuals and also of personal attacks, often in a political context, with the objective of harming democratic political processes». A practice which oblige to initiate, «both at the national level and within the Council of Europe», discussions on norms and mechanisms required for preventing the risk of information distortion and manipulation of public opinion.

Stop with deregulation
According to the PACE there is a situation of substantial deregulation. Today it has become difficult to control the use and sharing of information on the internet, namely (but not only) because of the increasing presence of fake profiles flooding the internet, with anonymous posts and comments using the platforms of different media outlets. That's why rules are needed, and the Council of Europe asked in particular to «ensure the traceability by law-enforcement authorities of users of online media when they violate the law». A measure that can be explained by the fact that on-line media «must not become a lawless zone through the anonymity of users». Furthermore, governments are requested to set up alert mechanisms against people who regularly post insulting or inflammatory text (the so-called «trolls»), which empower users to complain about them, with a view of excluding such people from their fora.

EU for a minimum wage for all (but they can't promise)

Amongst the first centre-right men, European Commission president became the last of leftists by proposing the idea of basic salary for every job category

by Emanuele Bonini

It's time for Europe to introduce basic salary standards, said the president of the European Commission yesterday. According to Jean-Claude Juncker, «we need a minimum wage for every job, in every Member State», and that's what the executive body of the EU has the intention to do in March, when the college of commissioners will have to approve the new social package. Juncker didn't entered into details, but speaking during a conference in Bruxelles, he underlined the importance to have a measure like the one he mentioned. «If everybody had a minimum wage, we could fight the phenomenon of social dumping, which is eroding our societies», stressed Juncker. Despite the best intentions, it is unclear how the European Commission could be able to introduce a minimum wage (that - it has to be specified - should be fixed at different levels taking into account the different realities of the Member States). The European Commission has in fact limited power on this, since by treaties the competence on social policies is shared with the Member States.

 The European Commission has the duty of promoting social policies. It has foreseen that «in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health» (article 9 of the treaty of the EU). Nevertheless, when it comes to employment and social inclusion, most of the actions are left in the hands of governments. It's up to the national authorities to define and set out reforms in labour market. The EU Commission can just «encourage cooperation between the Member States and facilitate the coordination of their action in all social policy fields under this Chapter, particularly in matters relating to employment, labour law and working conditions, social security». (art. 156 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU).

«Corruption in Italy a question of culture»

Italians have no the habit of honesty, according to the Council of Europe. A long term approach is needed more than laws

by Emanuele Bonini

Honesty is an optional in Italy. In the country the principle of legality is missing, but it's principles themselves which are not there. Instead of the rule of law, in Italy there is the rule of non-law. And this is because ethics don't belong to the Italian nature, according to the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe. The latest evaluation report on corruption prevention in Italy put on paper a national problem which is not just or simply legal, but above all cultural. Italians have the culture of bribery. In such a context, bills or legislative acts will never be enough. «Combating corruption has to become a matter of culture and not only rules», underlined the report. «This requires a long term approach, continuing education throughout all sectors of society as an indispensable component of the anti-corruption strategy and sustained political commitment».

Italians need to be educated to be honest and fair, that's the real challenge. Can Italy succeed? Sentence waits posterity. Of course, premises are not really encouraging since those who are supposed to act don't seem to be in the position to do it. It's up to the decision makers to promote the change, to push for a new way of thinking. It's duty of politicians to give the country that long term approach required to stop corruptions once and for all, but they are the first people to be considered part of the problem. Italy has no schemes in place for MEPs, and GRECO asked that «clear and enforceable conflict of interest rules be adopted for parliamentarians, including through a systematisation of the currently dispersed ineligibility and incompatibility regime». Furthermore, the formal recommendation for «a robust set of restrictions concerning donations, gifts, hospitality, favours and other benefits for parliamentarians» means that Italian MEPs are exposed to the risk of being bribed.  A code of conduct should be issued and applied to both branches of the Italian Parliament. Since there is a cultural problem, according to GRECO this measure could facilitate the change. «Although a code in itself does not guarantee ethical behaviour it does help to foster a climate of integrity and to endorse the intention of the current legislature to abide by a culture of ethics». The problem of Italy is not that the country is corrupted. The problem of Italy is that Italians have no the habit of legality.

«Full job integration of migrants takes two decades»

A study from the European Commission called to invest on asylum seekers asking to speed up the process despite public opposition

(click on the picture to enlarge)

by Emanuele Bonini

Bad news for the decision makers and the public opinion: a proper and full integration of a migrant into the labour market can require from 15 up to 20 years, according to a report published today. In times of anti-immigration sentiment, the latest annual review of Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) contains warnings that could be misused by those who predict the end of national traditional societies because of the foreigners. According to the report issued by the European Commission, «it takes more than 15 to 19 years in the host country for refugees to reach parity with the native-born in terms of employment rates». Having an asylum seeker completely integrated takes time, and the European Commission called the Member States to invest on migrants by promoting integration policies. It would be key for both social cohesion and security, but it is unclear whether national governments can invest more than a decade on those that the public opinion would like to see returned to their country.

Looking at what has been happening in Europe since the outbreak of the migration crisis, it is easy to guess that the difficulties related to the full integration of migrants will offer more than one argument to the far-right parties. Fences and walls are under construction everywhere in the EU, from Hungary to France. The EU-Turkey deal on migration was reached with the aim of stopping the flows of asylum seeker coming to Europe. So, investing on migrants takes time and, as a consequence, takes money. That's true especially at the beginning, when third-country nationals have to deal with the most difficult barrier: the language. «Those refugees whose language skills are low or non-existent on arrival improve their employment chances significantly by acquiring more solid host-country language skills», stressed the ESDE review. Early investment in the language skills of refugees «may actually be one of the most cost-effective instruments» to enable them to capitalise fully on their existing formal qualifications.