On May 4, 2019, the event titled EUROPE, BACK TO THE FUTURE was held at the Fondazione Corriere della Sera, featuring Enrico Letta | Marianna Bertotti | Marco Bonometti | Annalisa Gadaleta | Francesco Gazzoletti | Moni Ovadia. It is time for a deep reflection on Europe.
The internal dynamics of the continent and the value battles (economic and ideological) of our time make the upcoming elections on May 26 a historic and strategic moment for our future as Europeans.
According to Enrico Letta, “We cannot give populists the authorship of the word Italy, as if they were the representatives of the people, the Italian sovereigntists against the Europeanists.” The former Prime Minister warns against a narrative of “elite versus people.” This narrative is dangerous for internal dynamics and at the same time unable to convey the value of an ideal yet “practical” Europe, where every effort is urgently needed to highlight the achievements reached, uphold its values, strengthen its response capacity, and explore new paths that no one has yet considered.
Europe must be capable of addressing problems, constraints, and emergencies, but also of building a real European belonging, reclaiming a broad and long-term vision, and fostering contributions from new European generations based on structured cultural exchange among youth—an essential element at a time when rejection of modernity is spreading, from science to tolerance and market openness.
The strengthening perception that “going backward” might be a form of protection highlights that Europe’s success actually requires a “back to the future” approach—measures capable of fostering more inclusive wellbeing and building a European identity founded on shared and essential values. There is thus a need to face rising inequality and deteriorating economic conditions in many regions, to concretely tackle widespread feelings of insecurity especially in marginalized areas, and to address emergencies (such as environmental issues) that transcend national and European borders.
Fondazione Pesenti explores these themes with the event “Europe, back to the future,” balancing past values and future prospects. As is traditional in Fondazione’s conferences, this is done with prestigious guests as well as out-of-the-box personalities, aiming to understand beyond political rituals what kind of Europe to design for young people, entrepreneurs, social workers, and cultural figures. To project ourselves into the future, it is essential today to understand the fears and hopes that drive Europeans, in order to design a stronger continent. Because without Europe, we will all be more fragile.
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