CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA
PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
Toward a cooperative approach in Foreign Policy
Giovanni Ricevuto, Messina (Italy)
Nowadays the world is a completely different system, with respect
at only fifteen years ago. We face huge challenges raising from
complexity, that is exactly a primary effect of globalization. All
the elements existing in this scenario increase their number and, at
the same time, multiply the speed of their inter-acting. So the final
result is that complexity shapes a world of difficult forecasting
and, obviously, nearly impossible to be governed. In other words
and in my view the so-called “doctrines” in the field of
International Relations have no more the possibility of explaining
and solving the existing crises. This situation clearly explains the
non-linearity of certain strategies of the contemporary diplomacies
and, in certain cases, even their zig-zagging. If you think about the
political scenario after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we fast
passed from “The end of history” theorized by Francis Fukuyama,
to the planet of “unipolarity”, with the United States nominated as
“the policeman of the world”, to the last stance of a “world with
no polarity” as sketched by Richard Haas of the Council on
Foreign Relations. Definitely, our planet is a system too complex
to be governed by someone and, above all, to be controlled thanks
to certain “receipes”. The only correct and effective approach is
“flexibility”. That is acting and moving on the international
exchequer according to responses conceived in real time.
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
Corso Cavour, 87 98122 Messina
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA
PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
This point of view radically changes the way of doing
“international relations” as it was. So we need a new generation of
politicians, diplomats and social scientists able to interpreter the
contemporary
challenges of modernity. Regarding Europe, these phenomena are
effectively summarized by the title of our meeting: A choice
between globalization or re-sovereignization. The European Union
has big problems of cohesion. Probably the enlargement was too
fast and the result is an asymmetric political and economic
organization, unable to elaborate a common strategy. For example,
we have a two-velocity Europe in the monetary field, with a
division between an Euro-Area and a Non-Euro Area. And inside
the so called “Eurozone” we have further fragmentation between
North and South countries, with the “Piigs” (Portugal, Ireland,
Italy, Greece and Spain) in a structural difficult financial position.
Even inside this bloc you have to divide the situation of Greece,
that of Ireland and Portugal, and those of Spain and Italy. All
together the result is a very complicated economic phisiognomy,
and a consequent “lack of room” in order to conceive a common
financial and economic policy. So the European Union is, de
facto, a giant on the paper but substantially a weak subject in all
the fields, starting from the foreign policy. This scenario is the
first reason of a paradox: Europe is joining the worst sides of
Globalization and of Re-sovereignization.
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
Corso Cavour, 87 98122 Messina
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA
PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
She is too slow in reacting to the demands of Globalization and
too divided not to fall in the opposite process, a Resovereignization that is the obvious answer to the particular
national interests. Unfortunately, you can note this development of
the continental policy in each crisis, from banking to international
or regional conflicts. The reaction of EU is always not effective
and always zig-zagging, according to the special relation that each
member has with the rest of the world and with the Big Powers
especially. If we simply think at the situation we had in the
Former Jugoslavia and in the Kosovo and now in Ukraine you will
very soon note a divergent approach. Self-determination is a
principle you must support always. Or not. Ralf Dahrendorf wrote
to pay attention to the sel determination as a solid background to
justify foreign intervention, because “each minority can be the
majority of another minority”, as in a Chinese box, or if you like,
as in a matrjoska doll. Therefore you need to be cautious in
deciding intervention that can result as a pure interference
motivated by not proper ethic reasons. This is the case of
“humanitarian intervention” doctrine, theorized in the United
States by Leslie Gelb and strongly advocated by President Clinton
to justify American presence in particular regions of the world.
This is the case, for instance, of the Second Gulf War, in Iraq,
declared on the basis of the supposed existence of Weapons of
Mass Destructions in the hands of Saddam Hussein. A proof that
was demonstrated to be false.
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
Corso Cavour, 87 98122 Messina
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA
PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
This is the case of the various “Arab springs”, where the doctrine
of “exportation of democracy” was fallacious used to cover the
real Western interest. With the result to disintegrate the political
assets coming out from 50 years of History and to open the way to
the worst Islamic fundamentalism. An Islamic Jihad that is now
much more dangerous than the previous menace of al Qaida. The
model of this political mistake is probably Libya and
the killing of Mohammed Gheddafi. Libya is today the real
paradigm of this disastrous approach: a country devastated not by
a civil war, but moreover, by hundreds of tribal conflicts. All this
foreword was necessary to spend just few words about the
relationship between Russia and the Western bloc. We need
Russia and Russia needs Europe and the United States. We have
many common interests: strategic, financial, commercial and,
above all, from the point of view of security. If the process of
foreign policy is based on priorities, then our priority is to
guarantee our cities, network of transportation and social life
against possible attacks coming from international terrorism. We
are obliged to look at the things that can unite us and not at the
difference that could raise a confrontation. Europe, United States
and Russia can find the same path towards an era of working
together. We are absolutely convinced that the Zero sum effect of
Game Theory is a wrong approach. We strongly support a policy
of cooperation, where the mutual interests are stronger than the
particular ones and where don’t exist “winners” and “losers” but
only Nations with the desire of working together in order to win
together.
CENTRO DEL MEZZOGIORNO D’ITALIA PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE RELAZIONI CON LA RUSSIA
Corso Cavour, 87 98122 Messina