After the appeal launched to Italy last March, a new open letter signed by 1,800 economists from over 550 European universities was sent to Europe. The addressees are the presidents of the European Commission and the Central European Bank and the various heads of state of the European Union. The key issue is once again the urgent measures to be adopted to tackle the serious economic crisis caused by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In this new appeal to the European authorities we state once again which urgent measures must be adopted,” explains Professor Mario Morroni from the University of Pisa, the promoter of the initiative together with his colleague Pompeo Della Posta. “Even in this case, we do not mention the use of the ESM, the European Stability Mechanism, as it presents various problems but we do propose the issue of ‘European Renaissance Bonds’ guaranteed by the Central European Bank. We firmly believe in the need for a common resolve to fight a common threat.”
The new letter of appeal together with the list of signatories is available on the website https://europeanrenaissance.altervista.org/ where it is possible to participate directly.
From the left: Mario Morroni and Pompeo Della Posta
“The vast participation in this appeal in only a few days,“ emphasizes Morroni, “is undoubtedly due to the extreme seriousness of the economic and social crisis caused by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the need to convince the leaders of national and European economic policies to make decisions which are in keeping with the phenomenon.”
The text, edited by Mario Morroni and Pompeo Della Posta, was drafted jointly by economists from Italy as well as from German, French, Dutch, and British universities. As for Pisa, nineteen economists and academics from the University of Pisa, five from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and two from the Scuola Normale Superiore signed the appeal.
“The rapid evolution of the current political debate,“ concludes the professor from the University of Pisa, “is influenced by the growing pressure of public opinion which is now questioning the meaning of European integration if, in such a difficult moment, the European Union does not show real solidarity towards its citizens hit by the pandemic and is not able to adopt those economic measures needed to stop Europe from plunging into a recession without precedence.”