4 minute read
Foreword
FOR EW ARD
I am pleased to be here with you today to reaffirm the importance of a cohesive and strong Europe, capable of interpreting in the best possible way the specific characteristics of its territories and playing an increasingly important role at international level.
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I have the honour to be the President of EmiliaRomagna, the Italian Region that in the last five years has been first in terms of growth in the country, and to represent both AICCRE and CEMR , which together promote collaboration between European Union countries. I often quote a paradigmatic datum: in 1950 Europeans were 20% of the world population. With the current demographic pace in 2050 they risk becoming only 7%. It is therefore clear that those who encourage the raising of walls and relaxing European cooperation, are proposing a future in which every single European country will be so weak in the face of global competition that it will become irrelevant. On the contrary, we hope that, while Brexit has taken Great Britain out of the European Union, other countries may soon join. In addition to maintaining and strengthening European integration, it is interesting to observe the international dimension, because it is the chessboard on which we can forge new alliances and partnerships for the future. About two years ago in Abidjan, the CEMR and its African counterpart created important relationships, and I believe that this is positive because the wellbeing of Africa and Europe are intrinsically linked. The merit of Venice City Solutions 2030, which within this framework unites representatives of local, national and international institutions, is to focus attention on priority issues for our future: first of all, the environmental issue, which has become predominant in political agendas around the world, being a topic that knows no borders or political colour. Last year I attended the Global Climate Forum in San Francisco as President of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the CEMR. In this context, the Region that I represent has made a commitment to reduce air pollution by 40% by 2030, a decision considered important given that a third of the Italian population lives on its territory and where the greatest part of the national wealth is produced. This is why the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 assume their importance, because they allow us to cluster the interventions, give decisive answers to the citizens, and avoid dispersing forces and energy in myriad fragmented actions and proposals.
Environmental issues should be read in conjunction with employment, which enables people to live full and dignified lives. It is necessary to rethink our development model, to ensure that the growth needed to redistribute resources is sustainable and respectful of the planet and human wellbeing, and is able to guarantee job prospects, welcoming the digital revolution that will lead future generations to carry out activities that we do not yet know. We must not fear modernization, but we must bend it to human needs. Europe, once again, is reaching out to us by working to make our continent competitive at international level, also in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data. The Emilia-Romagna Region, for example, has just received important European funding to create two super computers that allow the fast interpretation of Big Data, an operation that will put it straight at fifth place in the world, among the Chinese and American giants of research and technology.
Venice City Solutions 2030 this year addresses an important and complex issue, which concerns the consensus of citizens in a historical moment characterized by extremely complex challenges.
time generates apprehension for me: the dramatic economic crisis that has hit us after 60 years of prosperity, and the new migrations, which are pushing people from difficult lands to leave their homes to seek opportunities in Europe, have been interpreted by some political forces as levers on which to stimulate fear and a sense of insecurity of its citizens. The concern is that, in the age of populism, what is said is more important than what is done. We need to “do”, because if the condition of people improves, those who incite anger have less chance of success. For our part, we need to rethink the relationship between politics and public opinion, so that it is increasingly oriented towards sharing and transparency. I am convinced, for example, that in order to make up for the democratic deficit in European politics, the Presidency of the European Commission must be sooner or later directly elected by the citizens. I therefore find the focus of this edition extremely topical, and at the same time I think it is admirable to reflect during these days on how to bring citizens closer to the institutions.
I would like to thank all the participants, especially those who have come from afar, because their presence makes us believe that our efforts are heading in the right direction. On the other hand, history reminds us that regimes have come to power thanks to public squares crowded with people pointing to someone to decide for them. Each time, however, reality has turned out to be studded with choices that have worsened social and economic conditions and reduced freedoms, even leading to the horror of war. In our own small way, we try to add a piece to the dialogue, sharing and cooperation, so that citizens are encouraged to participate. This is the way to strengthen democracies and it is a challenge we cannot lose.
