“Another big mistake was our support for the terrorist cutthroats in Syria who are now running wild in Europe, and also the 2014 breaking of ties with Russia. We lost our best ally in the war on terror. These are the three mistakes that caused the present crisis in Europe,” he said.
Gian Micalessin also mentioned the economic and political damage caused by the conflict with Russia.
“Russia is our main economic and political partner and one of the closest ones too. We lost each other,” he added.
Speaking about the principle of a “multi-speed” Europe the EU leaders approved in Rome, Gian Micalessin said that it would hardly help steer Europe out of the deep political crisis it is now going through.
“It’s like giving aspirin to a cancer patient. Europe should change its foundations, it needs new rules. In its present form it is no longer working. With different gears it will keep going back instead of moving forward,” he emphasized.
French President Francois Hollande said in turn that the option of a "multi-speed" Europe, with different countries integrating at different levels, has been resisted for a long time but is now being considered as a possibility.
On Saturday, the leaders of 27 EU member states signed a declaration on the challenges and priorities of the bloc post-Brexit at a summit, devoted to the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The UK was the only member state which didn’t sign.
The Treaty of Rome marked the foundation of the European Economic Community, the EU’s predecessor. It was signed on March 25, 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.
It also proposed the creation of a common market, a customs union and common policies, known as the common market.
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