Mario Monti at ESADE: "In the European Union, European policies are lacking and national policies are abundant"

Today at the opening ceremony of ESADE’s 2015-2016 academic year, Mario Monti – President of Bocconi University, former Prime Minister of Italy, former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance, and former European Commissioner – delivered the inaugural lecture, entitled “EU and Member States: Between Integration and Disintegration”. In his lecture, Prof. Monti highlighted the lack of European policies and the “abundance” of national policies in the European Union.

Noting the “delicate” political moment currently unfolding in Spain, Prof. Monti praised the country for its rapid response in implementing economic reforms, which, he said, have led to a “solid recovery”. He contrasted the case of Spain with that of Italy, which, he said, “has yet to implement the changes needed in order for the country to be fully competitive”.

Fervent pro-European

During his lecture, Prof. Monti described himself as a “fervent pro-European”. He expressed his concerns about the symptoms of “European disintegration” and noted that “European integration has consolidated many democracies, including Spain”. He concluded: “Without European integration, we would be at war again.”

“Things that only a few years ago were considered turning points in European history – such as the euro and the Schengen Agreement – are now being rejected or repudiated,” observed Prof. Monti. “Blaming Brussels seems to have become the magic solution that allows politicians to win the next election.” He added: “The current risk is that Europe will be transformed into a land of confrontations – not just at the EU level but also at the national level.”

On current affairs

Prof. Monti commented on various current affairs. “Although Greece has been managed poorly for several decades, I don’t think they should leave the euro,” he remarked. “I think that Greek popular opinion is more mature than that of Italy, France and perhaps even Spain.”

In response to a question about the refugee crisis, Prof. Monti argued that “this crisis is also a cultural revolution”, before adding: “Europe needs immigration because of its demographics, among other reasons.”

The opening ceremony took place on ESADE’s Sant Cugat campus and featured appearances by Eugenia Bieto, Director General of ESADE; Manel Raventós, Chair of the ESADE Foundation Board of Trustees; and Carlo M. Gallucci, Vice-Rector of Ramon Llull University (URL).