Mr President, a number of us feel a particular affection for Italy, for the extraordinary vitality of its society, the creativity of its people, its exceptional cultural heritage and the richness of its local, socially aware democracy. We love the Italy of the great popular demonstrations demanding employment, social justice and equality; of the vigorous anti-war movement; of the socially aware demonstrations in Genoa against social and police violence; and of the European Social Forum in Florence. It is an Italy that is young, demanding, enthusiastic and combative because it is convinced, as emphasised by its main watchword, that another Europe is possible and because it is determined to bring it about. This other Europe is one which provides itself with the resources to loosen the grip of neo-liberal globalisation in order to make employment, training, retirement and social welfare more secure for its citizens, to guarantee proper public services and to improve the standard of living – in short, to place people’s lives above the demands of the market. This other Europe is one founded upon ethics and equality before the law, one that banishes elitism and exclusion, prohibits privileges and submission and eradicates the poison of intolerance, racism and xenophobia from within our societies, as well as from Europe’s relations with the rest of the world. This other Europe is one emancipated from US tutelage and daring to make another voice heard in the great international institutions in order, together with its allies from the South, to tackle the open wounds that make the planet less and less safe and habitable and that go under the names of poverty, underdevelopment, environmental disaster and war. Like ourselves, this fine, unbiddable Italy does not identify with current European Union trends. With all the more reason, it is disgusted by the policies of those in government in Rome who are carrying European trends to the point of absurdity. Their neo-liberalism is unrestrained, their Atlanticism unconditional and their taste for democracy rather half-hearted. One of the priorities of this Presidency is a mammoth project to develop infrastructure. This would warrant careful examination on a case-by-case basis, for blatant needs do, in fact, exist, like that for a ‘piggyback programme’ on a scale appropriate to the EU. Relying upon private capital to carry out such work that will only be profitable in the very long term is, however, to head towards certain failure in the areas of employment, growth and quality of services. Another of this Presidency’s priorities is to force the pace at which advantages in terms of pensions and social welfare are dismantled. This is the trademark of the most conservative forces. As for the plans relating to immigration and the right of asylum, which need to be finalised in the course of the next six months, revulsion is the only possible response to the idea that this ultra-sensitive debate might be sullied by the barbarous cries of rage to which one of the personalities in the current coalition is frequently given. We finally learned yesterday that formal decisions will have to be taken between now and December concerning the EU’s new strategic doctrine which, when outlined before the start of the Italian Presidency, had already elicited great fears. Therefore, extreme vigilance will be required in all respects throughout these six months. If the current constitutional process is to have any meaning, let us begin by ensuring compliance with Article 2 of the draft Constitution, devoted to the values of the EU and worded as follows: ‘The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These values are common to the Member States in a society of pluralism, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and non-discrimination’. (Applause from the left)

Political group: GUE-NGL