Unrest, manipulations, populism. But every nation feels to belong to the EU. One day, when asked about our nationality we won’t answer “I’m Spanish”, but we will say “I’m European” first. In the end nobody thinks is actually possible to leave the EU (Brexit is still an ongoing story, too long to be summarized here) and we might even say that this feeling of membership has become stronger. It is perfectly normal and appropriate to complain about something (especially if you want to improve it), and how could it not be, about EU’s foreign policy. This very controversy underlines the faith in the EU. Every member-nation has its own deep problems and requests. And each member takes them in the continental political context, trying to enhance their own priorities. We are more and more realizing that we have to face our inner problems beyond a homemade solution but taking in account somehow the European entire body. And not just to ask for money.
But who deals with foreign politics? Each national minister follows his own agenda, focusing mainly on his own Country and then they gather officially. What do they do in this second case? They argue and confront each other. But how and when official decisions are taken? It’s a rhetorical question, unrelated to the formal procedures. But the “thing” is lacking, that is what you practically do. What does the EU officially do in foreign politics? Little or nothing as generally known. And the absurd is that this happens in a period of strong international tensions, while geopolitcs is changing its shape. Tiredness of the “Old” continent? Decreasing concentration due to high demographic density – as Gabriele Artusio’s picture symbolically depicts- ?. We have to remind also that Germany (the “pilot” nation) has weakened, as it was forced to give more attention to its inner problems. In the end, the conclusion is that ministers of foreign affairs do not produce concrete effects, mostly because of complex problems related to the “Ubi consistam?”, the maintenance or the fate itself of the EU, come into play. As previously said, it’s time for complex and composite structures (politics and interdisciplinary specialists) to make serious proposition and to take responsabilities and decisions.
