Behind a new bilateral cooperation agreement between France and Italy is a burgeoning political alliance that could reshape the European Union and its global role. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel departing, all eyes are now on Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron are on track to sign a bilateral accord – the so-called Quirinale Treaty
named after the Roman palace – designed to boost their countries’
industrial and strategic cooperation. But this new Paris-Rome power axis
may do much more than that as it may very well alter the leadership
dynamic within the entire European Union.
This emerging Draghi/Macron alliance may
seem like an odd pairing, because some French look down their noses at
Italians. I personally witnessed quite a lot of this when I lived in
Aix-en-Provence, a place where French and Italian culture often compete
and clash. But judging the Italians harshly for their politics is much
harder to do now that the supremely competent and experienced Draghi is
in charge. A mere ten months after taking office, Draghi has emerged as
one of Europe’s most highly regarded and influential politicians. Just
before last month’s
G20 summit in Rome, he held a private meeting with
US President Joe Biden – a tête-à-tête that testifies to his elevated
standing in the transatlantic alliance.
According to the New York Times, Biden made clear
that “Italy and the United States needed to show that democracies can
function successfully and that Mr. Draghi was doing that.” But Draghi
is not only showing the world that Italy can function like other rich,
modern countries. The staunchly pro-European, pro-American, and pro-NATO
prime minister has also made savvy political moves that could change
the face of Europe and the EU. For starters, he has forged a deep bond
with Macron. Working together, the two leaders have an excellent
opportunity to wield more influence over EU policy – from the economy to
defense – now that Angela Merkel
is stepping down as German chancellor after 16 years in power. The
Quirinale Treaty is a concrete result of their new cooperation to fill
the gap created by Merkel’s departure. If they succeed, the locus of
influence in the EU will shift southward – and toward greater European
integration. Here, Draghi and Macron see eye to eye, including on the
critical issue of European defense. Both are confident in the EU’s
ability to act independently as a military force while still maintaining
its full commitment to NATO. Biden himself appears to accept this view. According to the Times,
“Mr. Biden told Mr. Draghi [during their October meeting] that he
viewed a strong European Union – even one with a unified military
defense – as in the interest of the United States.” Given America’s
growing focus on the Asia-Pacific theater, a unified European defense
capability is exactly what the US needs....
Project Syndicate
© Project Syndicate
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