Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta believes that Donald Trump's election will oblige Europe to launch a vast redevelopment program for crisis-hit industrial zones and to show that immigration is under control.
Donald Trump has succeeded in capturing the anger of Americans who felt that they were the losers under globalization. The rise of nationalism in Europe feeds off similar feelings of being fed up and forgotten. How will the European Union respond?
Enrico Letta: The same anger was exploited across the English Channel resulting in Brexit. In fact, globalization is still accelerating thanks to technological progress that will turn work upside down and sweep away existing balances. In emerging countries such as Vietnam, people feel that they are the winners from this process.
In advanced countries like our own, on the other hand, a large section of the population feels that its living standards are under threat and that they are losing certainties as a result of these transformations that are now under way. So it is tempting to follow the siren call of those who promise a return to the good old times. In this respect, it is striking to note that the two slogans of Donald Trump's campaign – Make American great again and Take back control both sang the praises of the past whereas normally elections focus on the future.
To avoid the same thing happening here in the countries of the Old Continent, Europe needs to address itself directly to globalization's "losers" by launching policies that will aim to redevelop the old industrial regions. A European fund for adjustment to globalization already exists. However it is small and difficult to put to work. Moreover, efforts should not be limited to offering compensation nor scattered about.
What is required is a whole arsenal of policies, particularly continuing education policies, that need to be established in consultation with the various European states and that will be developed in parallel with the changes brought about by globalization.
This policy needs to be implemented under European auspices in the various regions in order to send a clear signal that Europe is close by and is acting against unemployment. By the same token and unlike Trump, however, it needs to avoid letting people to believe that easy and immediate solutions exist for these problems. Erecting tariff barriers, for example, would be a false solution which would do a disservice to a global trading power like Europe.
What to do about the rise of immigration?
E. L.: This is another area in which Europe needs to act. The Mexican immigrants in Trump's election campaign, like the Polish plumbers in the Brexit campaign, serve as scapegoats. It is therefore urgent to show Europeans that immigration is under control at the risk of feeding resentment. To achieve this will require 360 degree wide policies on the issue.
It will be necessary to change the European rules that oblige migrants to demand exile in the country in which they arrive in Europe so as not to leave Italy or Greece, and other countries in the future, at the mercy of migrant flows.
A relocation policy for refugees that will be managed in a common manner will also be necessary. Basing the distribution [of refugees] solely on a voluntary basis, as the central European countries wish to do, is untenable. Distribution is also the key to successful integration.
Historically, the United States backed the European project from the beginning. With the arrival in power of Donald Trump, will Europe need to learn to do without Washington, or even to go against Washington?
E. L.: Barack Obama was the ideal partner for Europeans. The election of Trump, who adopted an isolationist discourse during his campaign, will oblige our countries to take greater control of our own affairs. Yes, Europe is more alone after this election. However, this also needs to be an opportunity for a revival.
If the American umbrella becomes uncertain, it will be necessary to speed up the implementation of Europe's defense. In fact, this will not be such a bad thing provided we do not follow the USA in its warlike recent adventures. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were major American mistakes that have contributed greatly to the current migration crisis in Europe.
So this vote also challenges Europe to affirm itself more clearly as a power whose values will serve as a reference for the world. After this election, it would be the wrong response for Europeans to say that, now that he has won, Trump is not so bad after all. This is a trend that is already emerging. Certainly, we need to know how to dialogue and work with him, as well as with Vladimir Putin in Russia, but we also need to show ourselves as being very firm on the values that we hold dear.
What values distinguish Europeans from Donald Trump?
E. L.: The death penalty is one clear example that differentiated us from the United States prior to November 8. As you know, the abolition of the death penalty is a condition for becoming a member of the European Union and we need to promote this in the rest of the world.
On environmental issues, we moved closer [to the US] thanks to President Obama. However, we are in complete disagreement with Trump. Didn't he state during his campaign that climate warming was an invention of the Chinese to weaken American industry? Obviously, that is not our analysis as Europeans. By staying united, it will be up to us to have an impact so that environmental laws are not dictated by Washington.
E. L.: The return of the strongman is an illusory myth. It reassures but only by giving false hopes of a solution and it ends up in disappointment, defiance and disgust.
Trump will ultimately disillusion those who have been left behind and whom he had led to believe that he could easily provide an answer to their frustrations.
Moreover, concentrating power goes completely against the complexity of contemporary problems and their interdependence, which on the contrary requires the building of coalitions.
European history experienced one of its most terrible episodes when a strongman sought to impose his power. The post-war European construction was precisely a choice to unite the continent differently, i.e. without such a strong man. It is up to use to achieve this in the world today.
From Italy to France
Born on August 20, 1966 in Pisa, Enrico Letta studied international and European law. He became involved in the youth movements of European Christian Democracy (Center Right).
As a Parliamentarian, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the D'Alema government at the age of 32, making him the youngest Italian minister in history. Later, he became Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade before becoming an Opposition parliamentarian from 2001.
In 2004, he was elected to the European Parliament but he rejoined the Prodi Italian government in 2006.
In 2009, he became vice-secretary of the Democratic Party (PD, Italian Center Left). Becoming president of the Council of Ministers in April 2013 he formed a broad coalition government which was overturned by Matteo Renzi in February 2014.
He quit Italian politics in 2015 and moved to Paris where he now directs the School of International Affairs at the Institute of Political Science.