The resignation of the Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero has been unfortunate, coming as it does such a short time after the otherwise triumphant introduction of the euro common currency in 12 of the 15 EU member countries. Mr Ruggiero, a former head of the World Trade Organisation, was the most pro-European minister in Italy’s centre-right Government.
Mr Ruggiero resigned after several anti-euro comments by other Government Ministers. These in turn followed several anti-Europe decisions. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi side-lined Mr Ruggiero from any part in deciding whether Italy should join a multi-Euro plan to develop the Airbus military transport aircraft and as a result Italy backed out of the deal. Mr Berlusconi tried to block an agreement to put in place a cross-Europe arrest warrant, before backing down. And Mr Berlusconi introduced a law which would make it harder for magistrates to track money involved in financial crime.
It may be that these events can be seen merely as Mr Berlusconi returning what he saw as a cold-shoulder treatment by other European countries when he came to power. Most European Governments are left of centre and even those from the right are much more European and internationalist than Mr Berlusconi.
The real question, tough, is whether Mr Berlusconi, either of his own volition or through pressure fromhis far-right coaltion partners, is foolish enough to take Italy away from a pro-European stand. Without Mr Ruggiero’s presence it will be easier for rabid nationalists in the the Government to push for a more populist, xenophobic approach and mr Berlusconi himself has made no secret of his admiration for the United States – a nation particularly wary of surrendering even minor national interests for the greater international good.
Mr Berlusconi at least allayed some fears. It would have been better he he had found some similarly-minded technocrat as Mr Ruggiero to take over the Foreign Minsitry, rather than taking it himself (in addition to his job as Prime Minister), but at least Mr Berlusconi made some strong pro-European statemetns on assuming the office. “”the policy of this Government will be convincingly and intrinsically pro-European. Europe for us is an ideal, an ambition, a desire and a necessity because Europe has given us more than half a century of security, wealth, democracy and peace.”
The rest of Europe will be anxious to see whether this statement sounds in policy an action. This century Europe has been ravaged by war. Western Europe has escape war for half a century, and that can be put down to the European Union and its precursors. Eastern Europe, on the other hand, without the EU has seen horrific war and violence – and Italy of all countries should know because it received the refugees.
Italy is to play a critical part in the expansion of the EU when it takes the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of next year – the time when decisions about expansion will be made. It will not be good for the EU – and the peace and prosperity of Europe — if the Italian Government is spouting nationalism and xenophobia at this critical time.