Four substantive proposals for a new EU budgetary architecture aimed at its strategic autonomy, filed with Alexis Tsipras Speaking to his crowded amphitheater Center for European Studies, CES at Harvard.
In his first lecture on Tuesday night, the former prime minister was posted both during his initial speech and in the questions subsequently asked by members of the academic community throughout the range of developments in the developments in the developments. Europe, her Ukraine, her Middle East And all the new geopolitical backdrop that has shaped after the election of Donald Trump.
More specifically in the discussion made by the teacher coordinator Peter Hall the Alexis Tsipras He explained that it is necessary to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy while maintaining the transnational dialogue, regardless of NATO’s future. ‘Mutual respect is the only basis for the proceedings to proceed Euro -American relations. I firmly believe that Europe can and should use the Common foreign policy and Security policy, As well as the enlargement and neighborhood policies, for not only a force of deterrence, but also a power of peace and stability, ”he said.
Going one step further filed 4 Political and Economic Action Axes in order to EU to stand against the new challenges created by tectonic changes at the geopolitical level.
-Raise the debt threshold of European economies by 60% today at 100% on the occasion of Germany’s $ 900 billion (which will increase its debt)
-Iterement of the fiscal space created by this measure for the benefit of all Europe and not just domestic businesses of the big economies
-Creation of a European Ministry of Finance that will issue a common European debt for investing in social cohesion, energy, defense, infrastructure, green transition
– Deepening of the internal market in the line of the Letta and DraGhi Reports
In detail as Al. Tsipras:
-In order to maintain the credibility of Europe’s budgetary architecture, the budgetary framework should be revised as soon as possible, at least by significantly increasing the debt limit for all, to 100%.
And this review should come before the implementation of the German program if we are to maintain Europe’s credibility.
-I hope that Germany’s new fiscal approach will be used for the benefit of Europe as a whole, rather than being used to subsidize domestic businesses, in violation of EU rules on state aid. If such a course is followed, countries with a larger fiscal space will have a disproportionate competitive advantage, exacerbating economic divergences within the Union.
-Titon, I have been saying for many years: Europe must complement its common monetary policy with a federal fiscal institution, a finance ministry, just as the United States does, and any other successful monetary union.
And this Federal Ministry of Finance It should be authorized in order to issue a common European debt, with the aim of funding Europe’s strategic autonomy in the field of energy and defense, facilitating green transition, promoting research and innovation, restoring network infrastructure in Europe and collapsing and increasing investment in Europe and increasing investment in Europe, in education.
I do not believe that the protection and reinforcement of public goods of Europe must only come because of the pandemic, or now, because of the president’s geopolitical reorientation Trump. The issuance of a common debt is now a prerequisite for the economic and political viability of the European venture.
-Finally, we need to take advantage of the conclusions of the Letta and DraGhi reports: Europe needs deepening of its internal market, a new European industrial strategy to ensure its autonomy strategy and brave research initiatives and development,
In this respect, I believe that the plan ReArm Europe It lacks a vision for a truly common external and defensive strategy, is largely based on national resources and, therefore, lags behind the goals set by these two reports. Most importantly, it should not be implemented at the expense of the cohesion fund.
New security architecture
In terms of Ukraine Alexis Tsipras noted that “Europe must support peace on the best possible terms for Kiev, the development of an international peacekeeping power and the choice of Ukrainians for a European future. We need a different strategy in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova than we had since 2008. A strategy where there is a commitment not to a NATO but for a European perspective for these countries. ”
Supplely he emphasized that especially after the ceasefire, we must work for a different security architecture that includes one of its deterrence tools Russia that protect us from interventions, on the other hand the development of a framework of dialogue.
At the same time, European leadership must send the message to United States that transatlantic relations can only develop on the basis of mutual respect, border respect and non -intervention in the internal affairs of European countries.
The EU must face the rise of the far -right
Its rise far -right As the former prime minister pointed out in his lecture at Harvard is another major challenge that the EU must face. It relates to the financial situation and has consequences for the future of Europe. “For the last 15 years, the West has plunged into multiple crises that its leadership has not been able to face. Instead of accepting our mistakes and insisting in a context of principles for their resolution,
– Conservative parties adopted rhetoric and policies from the far right to deal with these problems and maintain their voters.
– Center -left parties have acquired elitist characteristics, having been cut off from the financial needs and language of the labor and middle class.
– While many of the Left parties have been absorbed by dogmatism and micro -political. “
At the same time emphasized the need to promote an integrated migratory policy to deal with the far -right.
‘We refused to do reactivation at sea. At the same time, we fought a fierce battle for an EU-Turkey agreement, where immigrants who did not receive asylum would be returned to Turkey. And together with the EU we created a system where over 25,000 refugees were relocated to the rest of Europe. We combined the humanitarian approach with a security -based approach, “Alexis Tsipras stressed, referring to the critical period of his prime minister when Greece was in the middle of the economic crisis also had to face the immigration crisis. Today, however, conservative governments have focused much more on reproductions than to find the right European mechanisms for a comprehensive European immigration policy, he said.
As well as an important issue for the rise of the far -right, it has highlighted the fact that the sovereign forces did not fight to protect the rule of law in Europe. “
Noted that ‘in many occasions, they have abused her pandemic as well as malicious software to enhance their power. In this way they let the far right be reinforced in this debate by presenting the rights and the rule of law as useless weights or propaganda of the Left. ”
Referring to the front of developments in Middle East Al. Tsipras called on, among other things, Europe to finally stand up to the circumstances in relation to the Israel And the need for peace in Palestine, with the termination of Israeli businesses that have led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths, the immediate humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and the resumption of talks for two states on the basis of UN resolutions.
Message to Ankara that her attitude will have consequences
Finally commenting on recent developments in Turkey Al. Tsipras stressed: “We need a clear message to Ankara that what is happening to the mayor today Imamoglu It is unacceptable and will have consequences. ”
“We cannot persuade anyone, especially in the world south, for our principles, if we have two measures and two weights,” he added.