Deutsche Welle: 'If you don't have European answers, you don't have effective answers'

Enrico Letta: I think there are many things to be concerned about today, not only in terms of the economy but also the political instability and the uncertainties surrounding the constitutional referendum that we are having in Italy in November. Furthermore, there is the migrant crisis, which is severely affecting Italy again because after the closing of the Balkan route, the migration has shifted towards the central Mediterranean route. And then there is the big news about the zero growth we have had in Italy during this past quarter. So overall there are many things to be concerned about but I think that Italy has skills and assets and opportunities to recover from this. But we have to work harder. [...]

The problem is more fundamental than that. I don't see the European Union having a clear approach to dealing with the migrant problem. We continue to work step by step, dealing with one problem after another without developing a strategic approach. We have to create a sort of toolbox for the migrant crisis, as we did for the Euro-crisis. For the Euro-crisis we changed our treaties, we created the ESM and we need that kind of approach for the migrant crisis as well. We need some treaty changes, the harmonization of the rules pertaining to refugees, a coast guard and border patrol at the European level, measures like that. [...]

Absolutely. People are less enthusiastic about Europe and the consequence is that their leaders, the politicians, think that they have to be less enthusiastic too, so they can get votes. And that means there will be less European integration. You know, there are many areas where there are no national answers. Issues like the fight against terrorism or the management of the flows of migration. They are separate issues but what they have in common is that we need European solutions for both. If you don't have European answers, you don't have effective answers, just political fighting. And that is why today, populist parties are polling so well. There are no clear solutions to the problems affecting the people and the citizens respond to that.

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