Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi expresses deep concern for the future of democracy. According to him, the Western model is in danger because of its focus on the short term, while in totalitarian countries, leaders adopt a long-term vision.
Invited on Tuesday to the 7:30 p.m. news on RTS, Romano Prodi, Italian Prime Minister twice and former President of the European Commission, shares his concerns about the Western political world: “We are no longer able to make long-term plans, (…) we work month after month, day after day.”
“Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have eternity ahead of them, they are thinking long term,” he warns.
Young people are not going to vote for compromises, they will vote if they are offered a program, a vision for the future. In Europe, there is a leadership problem.
According to him, it was not always like this. For example, in Germany, Angela Merkel had a long-term vision. But today, he continues, the rise of populism and political extremes, both on the right and the left, is due to a lack of strong democratic projects and a crisis of leadership in Europe.
The former leader, now 85, adds that young people will not vote for compromises; they need leaders who can present a vision for the future.
>> See the long version of the interview with Romano Prodi:
Fear of Modern Authoritarianism
Although the past never repeats itself in exactly the same way, historical examples of authoritarianism, such as Mussolini and Hitler, remain relevant to understanding current dangers, the politician believes.
Donald Trump is a kind of middle ground between yesterday’s authoritarianism and the new crisis of democracy.
Romano Prodi thus sees Donald Trump as an intermediary figure between the authoritarianism of the past and the current democratic crisis, stressing that this complex period of transition could profoundly transform modern democracy.
The former leader also notes that Italy, despite its divisions and fragility, has often been at the forefront of populist movements, citing Mussolini, Berlusconi and the Five Star Movement.
A Europe that must find its place again
According to the man who chaired the European Commission between 1999 and 2004, European construction is not in danger, but he criticises Germany’s recent decision to re-establish border controls, stressing that this goes against the spirit of Schengen. “In every political crisis, targeting immigrants works politically. But what is curious is that this decision has not provoked any reaction. It seems completely natural,” he says in surprise.
In the past, Europe played the role of arbiter, but today this idea has disappeared.
In the past, in a pluralistic world, Europe played the role of arbiter, but this influence has disappeared, adds the Italian, pointing out that even political figures like Kamala Harris no longer mention Europe in their speeches, illustrating Europe’s loss of weight on the world stage: “She never mentioned Europe in her speech, that’s where we have come to.”
Romano Prodi finally insists on the need to rebuild European unity, “because we are still the second industrial power in the world and we still have a very important force”.
>> See also the 7:30 p.m. topic on the presentation by Ursula von der Leyen of the new European Commission:
Interview by Philippe Revaz
Web adaptation: Miroslav Mares
