The exhibition opens today at Villa d'Este 52nd edition of the Ambrosetti Forum in CernobbioUntil Sunday, representatives of economics, finance, business, and politics will discuss the main global geopolitical, economic, and technological scenarios. The Forum kicks off in a climate already marked by controversy for the invitation of Roberto Vannacci and the president of the Rassemblement National Jordan Bardella at Saturday's debate on the future of Europe.
However, the opening day is dominated by the Message from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, with a strong warning against the return of power politics and an appeal to the European Union to assume a more decisive role in the new international scenario.
Mattarella in Cernobbio: "There's a return of strength in international relations."
According to the President, the the world is going through a transition phase A particularly delicate situation. The existing international balance is considered obsolete, but there appears to be no real commitment to building a new one. "The historical moment we are living through appears complex and characterized by a transitional phase that, while declaring the existing balance no longer relevant, does not appear committed to building a new one," states the Head of State.
The risk is that we look back on past seasons, calling into question the values on which national societies have built their present. This trend is even more dangerous because it occurs as the number of challenges grows that no country can address alone. From climate change to health crises, from the availability of energy, food, and water resources to the impact of Artificial Intelligence, major global issues require closer cooperation between states. In the opposite direction, however, aggressive competition is once again emerging for resource control.
"A predatory claim on existing resources is once again emerging – material and immaterial – with a worrying tendency to restore power policies, with the threat, if not the use, of force, to support its own claims in the resolution of international disputes", warns Mattarella.
Mattarella in Cernobbio: "The safety of some cannot be paid for by others."
The President of the Republic warns against a concept of safety based on coercion and the weakness of others. "The concept of security of some would happen like this at the expense of that of others, with a coercive vision of interdependence, which takes us back to colonial times, making the history of human civilization go backwards", underlines the Head of State. To be the multilateral order is under pressure Built in the last century after the horrors of World War II, a system that fostered pacification, independence, and economic and social emancipation across vast swathes of the planet, but which is now being weakened by short-term thinking.
Just when the stability and effectiveness of that order are most needed, its rules and practices are being challenged. Mattarella then recalls the human, political, economic, and social costs produced by disorder, opposition, and war. Power politics and conflict, the head of state reminds us, "bring no real benefit either to the presumed winners or to the defeated." defense of multilateralism However, it cannot simply be transformed into the preservation of what already exists. The international order must be reformed and adapted to a reality profoundly different from that of the post-World War II era, making it more effective and respectful of the dignity of individuals and peoples.
Mattarella in Cernobbio: "Europe must take the initiative."
This need for the change also directly concerns the European Union, indicated by Mattarella as the most important global experience of sharing sovereignty based on common values: “The European Union still represents the most striking demonstration in the world of sharing sovereignty, supported by common values, capable of ensuring peace, rights, and widespread prosperity to a group of states accustomed for centuries to fighting each other.” For Mattarella, the results achieved by the community project remain evident.His successes are indisputable – and for this, sometimes envied and opposed – just like its attractiveness, still intense and vital”.
This is also demonstrated by the trade agreements signed with countries and organizations from different continents, based on mutually beneficial relationships. A cooperative model that offers an alternative to the law of the strongest and "raptor profit," capable of putting people at the center and combining economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. To continue to have an impact, however, Europe must change pace"Europe must learn to take initiatives rather than relying on mere defense," Mattarella argues, calling for urgent action on the functioning of European institutions, their composition, the speed of decision-making, and the definition of priorities.
"The current international context does not allow for hesitation", concludes the Head of State. Without a shared legal and institutional framework capable of restoring peaceful coexistence and cooperation between states to the forefront, the prospects for a prosperous global economy and stable, lasting growth would also be severely challenged.
