Watching Italian soccer fans last month, one might think that a World Cup victory was the country’s most important opportunity this year. But it is the government’s performance in the six-month EU presidency that matters most to the country – and to Europe.
BERLIN – Watching Italian soccer fans last month, one might have thought that a World Cup victory was the country’s most important opportunity this year. But it is the government’s performance in the European Union’s rotating presidency, not the Azzurri’s performance in the soccer tournament, that matters most. Indeed, Italy’s six months at the EU’s helm, which began this week, will provide the country with a critical opportunity to reshape its own ossified fundamentals – and to effect real change in Europe.
BERLIN – Watching Italian soccer fans last month, one might have thought that a World Cup victory was the country’s most important opportunity this year. But it is the government’s performance in the European Union’s rotating presidency, not the Azzurri’s performance in the soccer tournament, that matters most. Indeed, Italy’s six months at the EU’s helm, which began this week, will provide the country with a critical opportunity to reshape its own ossified fundamentals – and to effect real change in Europe.