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ROME — Matteo Renzi has a dream: An Italian centrist will take over one of many EU’s strongest jobs as president of the European Council.
Following an announcement that the incumbent, Charles Michel, plans to run within the European Parliament elections in June, an pressing search is now underway to establish his substitute.
In a video interview with POLITICO, Renzi, the previous Italian prime minister, stated Michel’s successor chairing EU leaders’ summits must be a centrist. They need to even have served their nation — ideally Italy — as prime minister, he added.
The famously confident Florentine seemed like he was making use of for the job himself. However after a pause for dramatic impact, he laughed and revealed the candidate he had in thoughts: Mario Draghi.
Draghi is a former president of the European Central Financial institution, famously credited with having saved the euro. He’s already again within the thick of EU politics engaged on an official Brussels plan to make the bloc extra aggressive. The 76-year-old served as chief of a broad-based Italian coalition till it broke aside in 2022 and his identify usually comes up when management roles in worldwide affairs fall vacant.
Renzi likes to take the credit score for ushering Draghi to energy in Italy in 2021, by bringing down Giuseppe Conte’s authorities in a sequence of Machiavellian plot twists. Now he desires to do the identical for Europe.
“I used to be glad to have introduced Draghi to steer Italy, going in opposition to Conte, regardless that in consequence I misplaced assist and recognition. Right this moment, I might be glad if Draghi have been head of the EU Council,” he stated.
The European Council president occupies a key place in EU politics. They chair summit conferences of all 27 EU international locations’ leaders and signify the bloc internationally on the most senior stage on overseas coverage and safety points. It isn’t clear how or when Michel’s substitute can be chosen.
A livid spherical of horse-trading between main political blocs will seemingly comply with the EU Parliament elections arising in June, after which prime jobs together with the presidencies of the European Fee and the Council can be determined. It’s attainable that Michel’s publish can be stuffed ahead of that.
Haggling for energy
As the best and the left haggle over who ought to get which job, the liberals might nicely emerge with stewardship of the EU Council. It “is smart”, Renzi enthused, indulging his behavior of peppering his Italian with English buzzwords.
Italy’s present Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wouldn’t be against a powerful Italian resembling Draghi in a key European function, he argued. “It’s completely in her pursuits to have Draghi. Earlier than her election, she was offered as a harmful neo-fascist, so there have been very low expectations [in Europe] for the primary few months. However she is struggling to get outcomes.”
At a press convention earlier this month Meloni stated whereas her occasion was in opposition to his authorities, she didn’t oppose Draghi’s overseas coverage. An affiliate of Draghi’s advised POLITICO that he’s not excited by any of the highest EU jobs. Whereas he’s in common contact with Draghi, Renzi later stated he had not mentioned the Council presidency concept with him.
Renzi stated he might alternatively assist different centrist, former prime minister “mates” such because the Netherlands’ Mark Rutte and Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel. What about Renzi himself? “With all the love I’ve for Matteo Renzi, Mario Draghi is the most effective individual for the job,” he replied.
Renzi might be able to cheerlead for Draghi from Brussels, as he’s working for the European Parliament. Arguably he is aware of a factor or two about European elections, having beforehand led the Democratic Social gathering to greater than 40 p.c of the Italian vote, greater than another occasion in Europe.
“We received’t get 40 p.c this yr,” he admitted. His occasion, Italia Viva, is presently polling round 3 p.c, under the 4 p.c entry threshold set by Italy.
“I don’t have a numerical goal, But when I take 1,000, or 10 million votes, I’ve already been prime minister. I’m at peace, I’m very liberated. My goal is to see if there are hundreds of thousands of Italians able to vote for severe insurance policies, fairly than for these [politicians] I name influencers, resembling Meloni and [opposition leader Elly] Schlein.”
Outlining his platform for the primary time, Renzi stated he desires to reform the EU with a immediately elected president of the European Fee and finish the ability of particular person member international locations to veto key choices.
He desires an EU military and customary protection funding, a stronger diplomatic function for Europe on this planet, and thinks synthetic intelligence must be embraced. Like Draghi, Renzi desires a totally built-in Europe.
“Europe is at a crossroads,” he stated. Both it turns into “a protagonist … or it’s going to turn out to be a easy spectator within the ping-pong match between China and the U.S.”
The Bulldozer
Renzi, the previous mayor of Florence, usually in comparison with Tony Blair and nicknamed “the Bulldozer,” got here to energy as Italy’s youngest-ever prime minister in 2014, with a program of reforms.
However he spectacularly miscalculated by staking his premiership on a referendum. When Italians resoundingly rejected his proposal for sweeping constitutional reforms in 2016 he subsequently resigned as prime minister. “I at all times say that each one referendums from 2016, mine and Brexit, must be annulled,” he joked.
He break up from the Democratic Social gathering to type Italia Viva, after which shaped a centrist grouping, the Third Pole in 2022, splitting after lackluster outcomes and infighting.
Since leaving authorities, he has usually been accused of touring the world offering “consultancies” in international locations together with Saudi Arabia. Given the Qatargate corruption scandal, and the EU’s new lobbying and transparency guidelines, he may need to assessment a few of his sidelines.
Whereas he doesn’t have a consultancy in Saudi Arabia, he sits on advisory boards all around the world, he stated. However he’ll “in fact” abide by the foundations.
Gifted with a brash confidence that appears to rub some individuals up the fallacious method, Renzi has ranked amongst Italy’s least widespread leaders since leaving workplace.
Regardless of the turbulence, he claims to carry no grudges. “Italian political life is stuffed with ups and downs,” he stated. “We’re the nation of Machiavelli.”