Sandro Gozzi speaks: “There are many contradictions between the sovereign right and the populist left”

25 years ago, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair’s reformatory was bornThat progressivism finally realized that the modern left must also be able to talk to the center, and that to do so it must be able to reclaim some of its slogans from the right, make them its own and reinterpret them. Clinton, who was elected president in 1993, and Blair, who became leader of the Labor Party in 1994.and other world leaders followed suit, starting with Barack Obama. Twenty-five years later, the challenges are similar in aspects, but perhaps more urgent: combating the populist and sovereigntist right has become increasingly urgent, as has preventing the left from polarizing toward increasingly extreme and less palatable positions.

The Global Progressive Action Summit, organized annually by Canada 2020 and the Center for American Progressamong the world’s progressive think tanks, is the annual meeting of those who have this goal in the world: this year, in addition to Justin Trudeau Who took care of the house? Tony Blair, Keir Starmer (Leader of the English Labor Party, first in opinion polls, heir to Blairite reformism) and many other world leaders. We spoke about this with Sandro Gozzi, an elected MEP in France and Secretary of the European Democratic Partythe only Italian invited: It is clear that there is no longer room for Schlein’s left, in fact, not even in these contexts.

Sandro, how did your days in Montreal go?
“It was undoubtedly one of the best summits between reformists and progressives in recent years. I have been participating for a long time and I would like to say that the 2023 edition was truly of high quality both for the many leaders present from different continents and for the ideas and proposals discussed during the two working days. For us, the European democrats of the Renew Europe Alliance, it was also an opportunity to strengthen the strong relations we have built over the years with the main democratic and progressive forces in the world. “One of our great political goals.”

What are the topics under discussion?
“Restore control of migration, based on firmness and humanity, and strengthen it through new transnational cooperation. It also shows the contradictions of nationalists: doing everything for themselves, closing themselves off to their own immigration “nation”, only creates bigger problems for everyone. Artificial intelligence, which represents a great opportunity for humanity, and we must be visionary and courageous, rather than trying to stop history, progress and innovation. The green transition is a powerful and necessary option, but it requires greater clarity about where to find resources: it cannot be the poor or the middle class who pay the cost of the transition. Progressives must find new resources, and follow the example of what we decided in the European Union to impose a carbon tax at the external borders, to make non-European companies that pollute more than ours pay. It is a topic that also requires a lot of global dialogue and cooperation between democratic and reformist forces and governments that share the same goals.

Which interventions impressed you the most?
“I really liked the clarity of Keir Starmer, who is determined to turn the page in London and start a new phase in UK-EU relations. I personally think that in the decade starting after the next election across the Channel, we will be very busy working to get Britain back into the EU, after the madness of Brexit. I then expressed my great appreciation, as always, for Tony Blair’s clarity on how to respond to the challenge of populists, who are only interested in exploiting citizens’ fears and problems without offering any solutions. Certainly, confidence in creativity and environmental realism are important responses. Finally, I would like to mention the new awareness among our American friends of the necessity of leaving the digital Wild West. Just days before our summit, Big Tech companies were heard together for the first time in the US Senate. Even in Washington, we are beginning to understand that freedom of expression is not the right to spread any content, even if it is extremely violent, offensive, or purely misleading. On this basis, we European democrats have a lot to say and propose to the rest of the world, starting with the Washington Congress, where I will return to at the beginning of November.

A meeting of reformists and progressives from around the world, with a spotlight on Europe…
«Yes, participation in this summit will also help us prepare for the battle for the European elections next year, in which we will have to reaffirm the political importance of the politics of renewal, continue to overcome the old divisions between right and left, as well as highlight contradictions and conflicts. The ever-increasing political uncertainty of both the far right and the populist left.

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Alessio De Giorgi