Lettera aperta ad Angela Merkel

Con il diffondersi del Coronavirus – e come in molte altre occasioni – Lei ha dimostrato la capacità di guidare il suo paese. Sia come cancelliera che come studiosa di fisica ha compreso l’entità dell’emergenza per la salute in atto e le sfide che comporta per l’Europa nel suo insieme.

Ora ci rivolgiamo a Lei in quanto cittadini tedeschi ed europei, per chiederle di guidare una risposta dell’Europa – nel solco della migliore politica tedesca nel suo ambito – alla crisi economica e finanziaria scatenata dalla pandemia.

Osserviamo, con grande preoccupazione, la crescita dell’ira, dell’acrimonia e dei risentimenti tra il Sud e il Nord dell’Europa. Un’epidemia non conosce confini tra Nord e Sud, ne’ deve costruirne. In quanto minaccia esistenziale alla stessa Unione Europea nel suo insieme, essa richiede nuove forme di solidarietà.

Se non dovessero prendere forma, alcuni paesi dovrebbero affrontare conseguenze ben più profonde di altri. Ciò ci preoccupa. La Germania ricorda la drammatica recessione sofferta dopo la Prima Guerra mondiale. Se l’Europa nel suo insieme avesse prevenuto quella crisi, e’ possibile che quella storia sarebbe cambiata? L’Unione Europea non è nata precisamente allo scopo di scrivere un’altra storia?

Dalla fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, la Germania, più di ogni altro paese, ha dimostrato la capacità d’imparare dal suo amaro passato. L’immediata riforma delle sue forze armate e, soprattutto, il modo doloroso ma severo di affrontare atrocità collettive e individuali sono e rimangono il fondamento di una nuova Germania, come anche un aspetto importante dell’eredità europea.

In circostanze difficili, la visione europea della Germania ha superato pur legittimi interessi nazionali. Nessun sostenitore di un’Europa unita può dimenticare l’impegno di una vita, quella di Willy Brandt, per una Germania europea e non per un’Europa tedesca. Un impegno condiviso da Helmut Kohl, che ha meritato il suo posto nella storia in quanto parte essenziale di uno scambio virtuoso tra la creazione dell’euro e la riunificazione immediata della Germania, attraverso un dialogo solidale che ha coinvolto l’Europa nel suo insieme.

La pandemia ha determinato un’emergenza imprevista che richiede il medesimo dialogo solidale nell’interesse di tutti coloro che ne sono colpiti.

European Bonds, collegati a questa emergenza anche se con un significato più ampio, sono la necessaria garanzia a completamento degli sforzi compiuti dalla Banca Centrale Europea e dai singoli stati. Come suggerito da economist tedeschi ed europei, questa proposta consentirebbe di affrontare un’emergenza che potrebbe altrimenti trasformarsi in una crisi dell’eurozona e, finalmente, in una tragedia sociale ed economica. Cento anni or sono, le nazioni europee non seguirono i consigli di John Maynard Keynes, con altri pensatori ed economisti, determinando conseguenze catastrofiche. Non commettiamo oggi lo stesso tipo di errori.

È di fondamentale importanza agire oggi, dimostrando ai popoli europei la capacità di cogliere la sfida di una fase straordinaria. Le chiediamo di guidare il Consiglio Europeo, offrendo al mondo circostante la prova che gli Europei sanno affrontare uniti questa crisi e che sono in grado di fare tutto ciò che essa richiede per preservare la nostra unione, rafforzandola nella una dura sfida di oggi.

Abbiamo fiducia, gentile signora Merkel, che ciò accadrà in maniera tale da aggiungere un altro titolo al suo ruolo di cancelleriera e al suo suo titolo di europea.

Cordialmente

John Polanyi, Professor of Chemistry, Nobel Laureate, University of Toronto (Canada)
Hans Blix, Director-General Emeritus of the IAEA – Vienna (Austria)
Luca Visentini – General Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation – Bruxelles (Belgium)

Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor in EU Law at HEC Paris – Paris (France)

Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir – Professor Emeritus – Reykjavík (Iceland)

Carolina Alves – Research Fellow in Heterodox Economics University of Cambridge – Cambridge (UK)

Rasmus Andresen, MEP, GErmany
Marie Arena – MEP – Belgium
Amanda Baker-Frommholz, leherin – Berlin (Germany)
John Barnes, Professor – Germany
Anthony Barnett, writer and activist – Oxford (UK)
Quique Bassat – ICREA research professor, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) – Barcelona (Spain)
Catherine Bearder – fomer MEP – UK
Brando Benifei, MEP, Italy
Violeta Berisha – UNHCR Amabasador – Prishtina/ Kosovo
Felice C. Besostri, former Italian Senator (1996-2001) and membere of PACE – Milano (Italy)
Cinthia Bianconi, President Adriano Olivetti Foundation – Rome (Italy)
Akeel Bilgrami, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University – New York (USA)
Marja Bijl – vicepresident PES WOMEN – Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Irina Bondarevskaya – Associate professor, University of Educational Management NAES – Kiev (Ukraine)
Mario Bova, Ambassador, former Director General for Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (Italy)
Franziska Brantner, former MEP and current MdB (Grunen) – Berlin (Germany)
Judith Bunting – former MEP and filmamker – UK
Marius Busemeyer, Professor of Political Science, University of Konstanz, Germany
Ana Paula Caetano – Professor of Education – Lisboa Portugal
Gustavo Cardoso, Full Professor Media and Society – Lisboa (Portugal)
Paula Casal, ICREA professor of political philosophy – Barcelona (Spain)Stephan Castle – Honorary Professor in Sociology, University of Sydney (Australia)
Yohann Chaigneau – Economist BEI – Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Sandra Chistolini – professor of Education – University of Rome 3 – Rome (Italy)
Hélène Conway-Mouret – Vice-présidente du sénat Paris (France)
Luke Cooper, Consultant researcher, London School of Economics, CCS – London (UK)
Melinda Cooper, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy- Camberra (Australia)
Manuel Cortes, General Secretary TSSA – London (UK)
Colin Crouch, sociologist, Oxford (UK)
Veena Das, Professor of Antropology, Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore (USA)
Donatella Della Porta, Professor of political science at Scuola Normale Superiore – Florence (Italy)
Petra De Sutter, MEP, Belgium
Milos Djajic – Independent associate at Academy of arts in Novi Sad – Serbia
Caterina Di Fazio, Postdoc, Maastricht University/Agora Europe, Co-founder, Maastricht (Netherlands)
Zefi Dimadama – Vice President PESWOMEN / Dep. Spokeperson KINAL, PASOK – Athens (Greece)
Pascal Durand – MEP – France
Carmen Dutu – Associate Professor, Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Bucharest (Rumania)
David Edgerton – Professor of modern British history at King’s College London (UK)
Roberto Esposito – Professore Scuola Normale Superiore – Pisa (Italia)
Ricahrd Etienne – Professeur émérite en sciences de l’éducation – Montepellier (France)
Trevor Evans – Professor of Economics – Berlin (Germany)
Daniel Innerarity Professor of Political Philosophy University of the Basque Country
Anna Falcone, avvocato, Rome (Italy)
Ana Maria Falu, Emeritus Professor National University of Cordoba – Cordoba (Argentina)
Emanuele Felice, Professor of Political Economy, Università di Chieti-Pescara (Italy)
Josep Ferret Mas,Lecturer in phylosophy – Barcelona (Spain)
Marc Fleurbaey, Robert E. Kuenne Professor of Economics and Humanistic Studies – Princeton (USA)
Michele Fiorillo, CIVICO Europa /Scuola Normale Superiore – Verona (Italia)
Carlton Fitzgerald – Professor Uinversity of Oradea (Romania)
Jack Franco, DiEM25 UK National Collective – London (UK)
Andrea Glauser – Sociologist, Professsor of Cultural Studies – Vienna (Austria)
Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP, France
Geoff Gibas- Communications Strategist- Covid19 Best Practice Task Force – Bulle (Switerzland)
Jason Gold, photographer – Skopje (Montenegro)
Cécilia Gondard – National Secretary, Parti Socialiste, France
Sandro Gozi – MEP – France
Piero Graglia, Professor of History of European integration at University of Milan – Milan (Italy)
Stephany Griffith-Jones, Emeritus Professorial Fellow, IDS, Sussex University (UK)
Gianluca Grimalda, Senior researcher at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy – Kiel (Germany)
Enrique Guerrero – former MEP – Spain
Francisco Guerreiro, MEP Portugal
Bernard Guetta – MEP – France
Catherine Guicherd, Senior Consultant for humanitarian aid (France)
Sacriste Guillaume, Assistant professor in political science Université Paris 1 – Paris (France)
Paula Guimarães – assistant professor – Lisbona (Portugal)
Nicole Tutiaux Guillon – Professeure émérite en sciences de l’éducation – Vertou (France)
José Gusmão, MEP, Portugal
Colin Hay, Professor of political science, Institut d’Etudes Politiques – Paris (France)
Susan Himmelweit, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Open University – London (UK)
Felix Hoffmann, coordinator Take a Break from Brexit – Breisach (Germany)
Bojana Culum Ilic – Associate professor in Eductation- University of Rijeka – Croatia
Michael Jacobs, Professor of Political Economy, University of Sheffield (UK)
Sheila Jasanoff, Professor of Public Policy – Cambridge (USA)
Janina Jetter – translator – Oxford (UK)
Michael Jonas – sociologist – Vienna (Austria)
Ben Judah, Author and fellow at the Hudson Institute – London (UK)
Naila Kabeer, Professor, International Development and Gender Studies – London (UK)
Nathalie Karagiannis, poet and researcher – Barcelona (Spain)
Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance, London School of Economics – London (UK)
Andreas Kalyvas, Associate Professor of Politics – (Greece)
John Katsillis – Professor of Education – University of Patras (Greece)
Michaela Kauer – Senior Official in Public EU Affairs – Vienna (Austria)
Jude Kirton-Darling, former UK MEP – Bruxelles (Belgium)
Sue Konzelmann, Reader in Management, Birbeck, University of London (UK)
Arndt Kohn, former German MEP (SPD) – Stolberg (Germany)
Jürgen Kocka, Prof. (em) für Geschichte, Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)
Robert Kunst, Professor of Economics – Vienna (Austria)
Simona Laurian-Fitzgerald, Associate professor social study University of Oradea (Romania)
Marc Lazar, Professor of history and sociology, Institut d’Etudes Politiques – Paris (France)
Jo Leinen – former German MEP (SPD) – Germany
Eveline Le Roy, Coordinator international relations VIVES University of Applied Sciences – Kortrijk (Belgium)

Sonja Licht Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and Steering Board of Belgrade Security Forum , Belgrade (Serbia)
Beate Littig, Dozent, Institute for Advanced Studies – Vienna (Austria)
Nora Lustig,Professor of Economics – New Orleans (USA)
Gregoir Mallard, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, Graduate Institute Geneve (Switerland and Germany)
Chiara Mariotti, Development Economist, London (UK)
Dora Marucco, Professor of history of political institutions – Torino (Italy)
Fabian Muniesa, Professor of Economics/Social scientist – Paris (France)
Giorgio Maran, writer and activist – Varese (Italy)
Marisa Matias, MEP Portugal
Roulla Mavronikola – former MEP – Cyprus
Yves Mény – Emeritus President European University Institute (France)
Gian Giacomo Migone, former chair, Foreign Relations Committee, Senate of the Republic of Italy
Niccolo Milanese, Director European Alternatives – Paris (France)
Sadia Mir – Academic in economics & policy, WUNRN EU – Bruxelles (Belgium)
Shaffaq Mohammed former MEP – UK
Simon Mohun – Emeritus professor of political economy, Queen Mary University of London (UK)
Michael Newman – Jean Monnet Personal Chair – London (UK)
Jose Juan Moreso. Professor of Legal Philosophy Pompeu Fabra University – Barcelona (Spain)
Richard Murphy, Professor of Practice in International Political Economy, City University, London (UK)
Lucy Nethsingha – former MEP – UK
Andrea Nightingale, Professor of Geography – Oslo (Norway)
Simone Oggionni, chair culture department Articolo Uno – LeU – Rome (Italy)
Martin O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy – York (UK)
Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University – New Delhi (India)
Andrea Pisauro, Associate Researcher in Experimental Psychology – University of Oxford (UK)
Andrea Porcarelli – Associated Professor of Pedagogy in Padua University – Padova (Italy)
Stefano Prato – Managing Director, Society for International Development (SID) – Italy
Omri Preiss – Managing Director, Alliance4Europe – Bruxelles (Belgium)
Teresa Pullano – Assistant Professor in European Global Studies – Basel Switzerland
Hillel Rapoport, Professor of Economics – Paris (France)
Antonio Maldonado Rico, Profesor de la Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain)
John E. Roemer, Professor of politics and economics, Yale (USA)
Sandra Rone, Leading researcher Insitute of Humanities, director Inclusive Educational Development Centre – Riga (Latvia)
Pierre Rosanvallon, Professor of modern and contemporary political history, College de France Paris (France)
Alistair Ross – Jean Monnet Professor of Politics and Education, London Metropolitan University; London (UK)
Martin Sabrow, Director Leibniz-Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam, (Germany)

Guillaume Sacriste, Assistant professor in political science, Université Paris 1 – Paris (France)
Marie Laure Salles-Djelic, Professor, Dean School of Management and Innovation, Sciences Po Paris (France)
Saskia Sassen, Professor of Sociology – New York (USA) and London (UK)
Florbela Sousa, Senior Assistant Professor – Lisbon (Portugal)
Ognen Spasovski, Professor in Psychology, UKIM, Skopje (Macedonia)
Barbara Spinelli – former MEP – Italy
Shauna Stack, Researcher in social studies- Vienna (Austria)
Olle Svenning, columnist and former editor of “Aftonbladet” – Stockholm (Sweden)
Francois Taddei, Director, The Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity – Paris (France)
Dominique Taddei, Economist – Monticello (France)
Irène Tolleret – MEP – France
PANAGIOTA TZELEPI – Professor Emerita University of Patras, (Greece)
Nadia Urbinati, Professor of Polical Science, Columbia University, New York (USA)
Anne-Marie Van den Dries – Former Head Internationalisation VIVES – De Pinte Belgium
Antoine Vauchez, CNRS Research professor at Université Paris – Paris (France)
Juan Carlos Velasco – Research Professor in Philosopy at CSIC – Madrid (Spain)
Roberto Veneziani, Professor of Economics – London (UK)
Mara Vidnere – Professor Institute of Economics and Management Research – Riga (Latvia)
Caroline Voaden – former MEP – UK
Ingrid Volkmer, Professor, Digital Policy, University of Melbourne – (Australia and Germany)
Ulrich Volz – Director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance, SOAS, University of London (UK)
Astrid Wagner – Research Scientist in Philosopy at CSIC – Madrid (Spain)
Peter Wagner, Professor of Social Sciences – University of Barcelona – (Spain and Germany)
Julie Ward, former UK MEP – UK
John Weeks, Economist, Professor Emeritus of the School of Oriental and African Studies – London (UK)
Josef Weidenholzer, professor Emeritus, former MEP and Vice President of S&D Group, Linz Austria
Irina von Wiese – former MEP – UK
Andrew Williams – ICREA Research Professor – Barcelona (Spain)
Rudolf Winter-Ebmer – Professor of Econommics – Linz (Austria)
Nikki Wordsmith – Writer – London (UK)Salma Zulfiqar – artist – London (UK)

Michael Zeuske Senior Research Professor, University of Bonn (Germany)
Tana de Zulueta, Spanish- Italian journalist and former member of the Italian Parliament – Rome (Italy)