Letters
Letters to the Editor •
Key points to remember about what Europe can achieve after 7 October
Who wrote to the editor-in-chief, Claudio Cerasa
8 OCT 26
Translated by AI
Photo: Ansa
To the Editor – The issue of regulating the development of artificial intelligence within individual companies or ‘from the outside’, through legislation, deserves further examination and at least some initial guidance on the government’s position. This is also because there is a growing number of analyses and proposals to slow down AI coming from the producers themselves – representatives of Big Tech – who, however, having cleared their consciences, continue to operate as normal and would perhaps only be willing to slow down if ‘si omnes’ – if everyone did so: an unrealistic condition. Non-interventionist regulation, based in part on the obligation to carry out internal controls, therefore appears necessary, all the more so now that even Trump seems to be reconsidering his total rejection of any form of intervention. We need to raise awareness of the epoch-making shift currently underway, whilst avoiding behaving like the donkey in Carducci’s famous poem, remaining impassive as the ‘steam train’ passes by.
Angelo De Mattia
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To the Editor – 7 October 2023 was not merely a date in Israel’s history. It opened a geopolitical rift which, three years on, continues to redefine international power structures and balances. A profound shockwave that has swept through the global system, affecting trade routes, energy security, markets and supply chains. The Middle East has thus once again become the point where regional tensions immediately translate into global economic consequences. The wound inflicted on Israel by the Hamas attack and the humanitarian tragedy that has engulfed Gaza have dominated the global debate. But by focusing solely on this aspect, we risk failing to grasp the true scale of those events. From 7 October onwards, attempts to stabilise the Middle East through economic agreements, energy cooperation and diplomatic normalisation have failed. Faced with the apparent impossibility of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the path of the Abraham Accords had been chosen, hailed as the cornerstone of a new regional architecture. This strategy was dealt a dramatic blow by the Hamas attacks, behind which an Iranian hand was discerned. But 7 October also brought another truth to light. Conflicts in the Middle East span generations, identities and collective memories. In their modern political dimension, they have lasted for over a century, whilst their religious, cultural and symbolic components are rooted in a history stretching back millennia. It is therefore unrealistic to think that an election deadline or temporary agreements alone can heal such deep wounds. While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine served as a major geopolitical wake-up call for many, the attacks of 7 October demonstrated even more clearly that the world was entering a period of structural instability. Since then, the Middle East has definitively ceased to be viewed as merely a regional issue, revealing itself as one of the main focal points of the tensions of our time. The consequences are plain for all to see: less secure trade routes, more volatile energy markets, tensions in the Red Sea and fragility in global supply chains. Geopolitics has once again come to shape the economy and finance with a force that many believed belonged to the past. Against this backdrop, an inevitable question arises: where is Europe? While Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Ankara and the Gulf capitals are redefining their strategies and alliances, the European continent appears more as a spectator than a key player. It suffers the energy, trade and migration consequences of these crises, but rarely helps to shape their outcomes. This is perhaps the greatest tragedy: not the absence of problems, but the absence of a vision. In a world where everything is changing, new players and new balances are emerging whilst others are collapsing, and in the face of a gradual American disengagement from the Middle East, Europe should take a more decisive political initiative in a region of direct interest to it. The Middle East, since 7 October, has changed the world. The question today is not whether this chaotic and conflict-ridden world will help Europe shake off its lethargy, but whether Europe will finally be able to change itself, once again becoming a key player in the history yet to come.
Stefania Craxi, chair of the Forza Italia senators
To begin doing this, one must bear in mind the correct context. And to bear in mind the correct context, certain elements are required. For example, do not confuse victims with perpetrators. For example, take seriously the threats posed by states that export terrorism. For example, never fail to express solidarity with those who, in various contexts – from Europe to the Middle East – are fighting the sponsors of global terrorism.