Forced, threatened, afraid in our selfishness, in our pusillanimity, the European defence for the maintenance of a peace that has been given to us for 80 years by the sacrifice of millions of Europeans, and not only, is taking shape. It is significant that Ursula von Der Leyen quoted De Gasperi, one of the architects together with De Gaulle and Adenauer of European construction, before the Council of the Union.

Catenaccio and long ball

As a matter of fact, after years of Dutch-style football, English-style Brexit, and austerity without spending except on trade, German defence is the Italian way. Catenaccio and the long ball on the counter-attack, if the Americans and Russians are surprised. What would be the Paolo Rossi-style goal to score? Use the billions allocated to lift the economies of European countries, and not to give money to the US trade balance, limit purchases to only technologies that we do not produce in the Old Continent, accelerating European partnerships especially on satellites and air defence. We are just as capable of building fighter planes, space technology, missiles and drones as the Americans or the Russians. If the Iranians can make drones, do you want Leonardo not to be able to make them?

The European defence giants, largely owned by the governments of their respective countries, are to be financed to provide the best of their technology with continent-wide supply contracts. This would allow for an increase in jobs in this sector that would compensate for a few years for the decrease in production capacities in the automotive sector, which is in a deep transition crisis. In addition, we must arrive at a European Voluntary Force, an Erasmus of Security, integrate and train new soldiers to deter those who have expansionist aims towards us. If you want peace para bellum, said the ancient Romans, who of wars and conquests were second to none.

De Gasperi unheard, 70 years later

Seventy years ago De Gasperi, in an absolutely topical view of the world, said ‘we must also build a common defence, not to threaten or conquer, but to act as a deterrent against anyone who hates this united Europe. It is the task of this generation to do so’. That generation, caught up in the rush to prosperity, the economic boom, after the hardships and crises of two world wars, did not succeed, despite the visions of one of Europe’s greatest statesmen, now we are forced to do it, tertium non datur. Unless in the near future we want Cossacks on the Tiber or Yankee rapes from the film La Ciociara. Italian defence, however, has won us three world championships, and football, especially football in Florence, is a metaphor for war.