How the Italians See Europe
SENIGALLIA, SILVIO F.
HOW THE ITALIANS SEE EUROPE BY SILVIO F. SENIGALLIA Rome By and large, reaction here to the dismally low voter turnout for the European Parliament elections in the 12 nations that make up...
...Yet these realities do not seem to dim the dreams, nor is wishful thinking limited to Italy...
...Specifically, they have little understanding of such important issues as monetary union, the foundation of a single European currency, thefree circulation of capital, and total labor mobility, [n addition, it is noted, the recent public disunity among the various EC governments over how to deal with Iran, China and the Soviet Union has hardly contributed to a sense of cohesiveness...
...It should be reiterated, though, that in casting theirvotes, the Italians picked candidates without paying the slightest attention to the crucial matter of views on European integration...
...Although lower than in previous European Parliament elections, Italy's percentage of voter turnout was the highest in the EC...
...On June 24 former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaìng went so far as to predict that by the end of the century superpower Europe would surpass the United States in the economic arena...
...What appeals to them, first of all, is the fact that under present Common Market regulations Italian agriculture is heavily subsidized...
...But this should not lead anyone to the conclusion that the country is gung-ho for unification...
...Finally, the national inferiority complex here has to be kept in mind...
...It is widely conceded that the voters could not have been expected to warm up to the idea of a united Europe when they were totally unclear about the way it would function...
...For Italians respond to the prospect that by the end of the century a Europe which includes them may finally become the third superpower and an economic giant able to engage in global competition with the United States and Japan on an equal basis...
...Secondly, deep-seated dissatisfaction with their inefficient, backward, and strike-riddled public services makes Italians hope, if not believe, that closer association with the rest of Europe will result in their incompetent rulers learning some lessons on how to run a country...
...HOW THE ITALIANS SEE EUROPE BY SILVIO F. SENIGALLIA Rome By and large, reaction here to the dismally low voter turnout for the European Parliament elections in the 12 nations that make up the European Community (EC) has been very sober...
...Technical and statistical charts show that Europe is far behind in the vital sector of primary energy...
...Silvio F. Senigallia reports regularly for The New Leader on Italian affairs...
...Most Italians went to the polls for reasons that have virtually nothing to do with the creation of a single European market as the prelude to the United States of Europe...
...Moreover, 10.7 per cent of its 123 million-member work force is unemployed...
...Indeed, the Italian representatives to Strasbourg, seat of the European Parliament, will therefore be either never-available VIPs or second-raters...
...Choices were made almost exclusively according to parry lines...
Vol. 72 • June 1989 • No. 10
