“Wherever democracy is a dream, and freedom is suppressed, sooner or later even the economy will fall into crisis.” This conviction is held by Antonio Maria Baggio, Full Professor of Political Philosophy at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (Florence). Interviewed by SIR on the subject of contemporary global and European politics, the professor said he hopes that “a politics capable of acting for everyone’s good will finally emerge, a politics of human fraternity, not one that resorts to the language of war, which in the end only serves to deepen divisions and foster mistrust.”
Professor, in the last few years you travelled world countries lecturing on the philosophy of politics, the ethics of politics. What is the current state of politics, and is it in good health?
Travelling to different parts of the world offers a sharper perspective on the reality of politics, on the consequences of the decisions made by those in power. One recurring aspect that struck me is that without good politics, the economy will inevitably collapse, which in turn is one of the main causes of migration. The reality is particularly evident in the global periphery: the decisions of the centres of power all too often cause and exacerbate poverty and hardship, and the situation is tragic. Only a small proportion of the world’s population lives in conditions of prosperity, freedom and relative equality. This makes us appreciate the importance of democracy, however imperfect, and, looking at our own backyard, the importance of the process that has led to the creation of a European Union made up of peoples who, until a few decades ago, were at war with each other.
Professor, after two equally devastating world wars, the winds of war have been blowing for some time in Europe and elsewhere. Other, potentially more devastating winds may be blowing across the world. What do you think has gone wrong and why has the peacekeeping mechanism failed?
In my view, the spirit of the original vision has been lost. That vision consisted in the achievement of a political objective: peace between peoples. It was the driving force behind the process of European integration. Indeed, this process relied on economic mechanisms, but we should also remember that the Schuman Declaration clearly stated that the objective was and is political, not economic. The economy was a tool because Europe, reduced to ashes by the Second World War, had to be rebuilt both materially and morally. But once the economic well-being of the people had improved, the original direction and destination of the journey was lost, as it were.
Could the attainment of economic prosperity be to blame for this?
Not wealth as such, but the way in which we have experienced it. Wealth is a necessary condition for a good life, but a good life is a life made up of relationships, and if material prosperity is turned into a weapon that destroys relationships, it defeats the purpose. The development of Europe has been possible thanks to a generation that has endured much suffering, but over the years the perception of economic well-being has also affected the quality of the political elite. For this reason, the Church encourages us to approach politics as a generous and strong choice. Not surprisingly, political weakness tends to make room for the strong man of the day, for those who think in terms of strength.
… for strong men.
Exactly, and this is the second aspect we have forgotten. And we forgot that this was at the heart of the original vision of a united Europe. Strength alone can destroy, but it is never enough to build. Take the attack on the United States in 2001. The US was and is the most powerful country in the world, but its power was not enough to guarantee security. What is needed is a politics of doing good for others, a politics of human fraternity. Poverty and hardship can never and must never justify acts of terrorism, but it is also true that if a breeding ground for injustice grows worldwide, it will make room for the emergence of someone who takes the wrong path of justicialism.
Professor, you mentioned the negative impact of prosperity on the quality of political activity. Is this also reflected in the language of politics?
Most definitely, and it relates to the previous reflection on the fact that politics is not war. The use of bellicose or derogatory language in politics is inherently contradictory. Politics is what we do precisely because we have accepted that even those whose views differ from ours accept, as we do, the broad principles by which we are united as a community. When the language of war is employed, these shared principles are challenged; and, without saying so openly, the “other” becomes, in effect, the enemy. Frequently, outbursts of anger are witnessed amongst policymakers. These outbursts, however, do not stem from a rational, political mind. Consequently, citizens should encourage politicians to recognise that engaging in such dynamics of hatred, including hate speech, distances them from the political instruments built by and for the sake of democracy, rather than asking them to “be good” or “have a good heart”.
What is your opinion on the current events in Europe and this new season of relations with the United States?
We always considered the United States as the country that liberated us from the dictatorships that had been installed in Europe. The war cemeteries in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, with their graves of young Americans and other nationalities, bear witness to this. Nothing in life is free, security is not a gift, there is always someone who pays for what you have, and this is an educational principle. But if those we saw in that light now start talking and acting like bullies, with the stronger attacking the weaker, they are not only departing from the political arena, they are also showing that they haven’t learnt their lesson. In the end, all this will have an extremely damaging ‘rebound effect’ because it destroys trust. Even the strongest will need help at some point, and no one is strong enough to avoid the consequences of decisions they made at the expense of others. Being called a ‘parasite’ is unpleasant, but above all it contributes to a climate of mistrust and drives the United States away from Europe. As of now, we have lost Russia. Russia is Europe. We grew up with Russian literature, we cherish Russian saints, the philosophy of love, spirituality, a source of nourishment for Europe and Christianity. But now we have distanced ourselves enormously because of this absurd war against Ukraine. This is a crime that will last for decades. If we were also to ‘lose’ the United States, we would lose another major building block of European stability. If we were to ‘lose’ the United States too, we would lose another important building block of European stability.
What should Europe do?
Europe faces a necessary yet terrible task: it must reconcile all its cultural traditions. Our politicians argue because one of them stands for freedom, another for equality, and a third for national identity. These are all necessary elements, but they must coexist in harmony. Politics today requires knowledge and information; it can’t be improvised. Each of our traditions contributes a set of values that should not be used to attack others. What Europe should strive to do is to bring together all those elements that today seem hard to reunite. A social market economy must be restored. The projects of the first 20 years after the Second World War were successful because they combined freedom, equality, rights and responsibilities. We must rebuild, not regress, which means forming an alliance between young people, who are urged to make the most of their talents, and older people, who are called to put their wisdom at the service of all. The ultimate goal is to build something new, something that can both recover and transmit the spirit of the original vision.
An alliance between generations, as the Pope has repeatedly called for…
It is indeed necessary, and if it is not established as soon as possible, we risk dying. This alliance should be extended to other members of our society, to undermine the increasingly widespread idea that one person’s gain should be another’s loss. This kind of logic, the notion that one person wins while another loses, no longer holds, especially in today’s complex society. There is no longer a single law that can explain every phenomenon. In fact, we find ourselves dealing with many sub-systems, from the “no vax” movement to those who are convinced that everything can be solved by using violence. If all these subsystems become autonomous, our society will be shattered. We, meaning Europeans, have become aware of this during the pandemic, a time when political divisions may have deepened and encouraged the growth of more or less conspicuous movements that have played a role in the revival of political parties in the Old Continent that openly advocate violent positions… a situation that was previously unimaginable. However, we must not forget that the phenomenon of populism is in any case linked to democracies. Spontaneous, unmediated rebellions expose the failures of democracy, which, as Churchill said, is “the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
