Municipalities as essential components of the democratic system, fundamental players in a world undergoing profound transformations. From this premise began Realpolitik, the debate promoted by ANCI Lazio at Giacomo Matteotti Hall of the Chamber of Deputies, dedicated to contemporary geopolitical issues and the role of local governments in interpreting an increasingly unstable global context.
Opening, Davide D'Arcangelo recalled how “we are not simply in an era of change, but within a change of era”, and called for the need for local institutions to understand the new international dynamics.
Bringing greetings was the Honourable Paolo Trancassini, which emphasised the importance of confrontation and the urgency for local administrators to have adequate interpretative tools.
The President of ANCI Lazio Daniele Sinibaldi highlighted the link between the international scenario and the governance of territories:
“This debate is called Realpolitik, and there is no more ‘real’ than what municipalities face every day. Creating awareness means helping administrators to interpret a rapidly changing world, especially in smaller territories that often feel distant from these issues.”
Sinibaldi also referred to the need to initiate “a new season of investment in our strength and the strength of the country”.
Also present Secretary General of ANCI Nazionale, Veronica Nicotra, who called Massolo's book “highly topical” and recalled how President Mattarella's recent speech in Bologna - the Europe of mayors, the Europe of municipalities - highlights the centrality of territories:
“Understanding these changes allows us to build strategies for the future. We need strong, authoritative institutions capable of working together for peace and stability.”
Remotely, the Honourable Giuseppe Provenzano, former Minister for the South and now member of the Foreign Affairs Commission, who emphasised that “in a global world, the challenge is local”.
He called for a real European security policy as a matter of urgency:
“For eighty years we have been delegating this function. Now we have to review priorities and build awareness in citizens. The European Union is the place of sharing, not of division.”
Also present were the MEP Salvatore De Meo, who expressed appreciation for the initiative, and Manuela Porcaro Director of EMC Region - BCG Consulting, who contributed to the reflection on the relationship between territories and the international scene.
Ambassador Giampiero Massolo's conclusions
Closing the debate was Ambassador Giampiero Massolo, author of the volume Realpolitik, which offered a lucid reading of the international context:
“Geopolitics topics have become like football topics: just as we have 50 million coaches, we now have 50 million geopoliticians. This is good, because it shows attention to government choices and the world we live in.”
Massolo described the global scenario as a complex transition phase:
“We have not moved out of one order and into another. Today, there is no longer a truly ‘local’ conflict: everything can quickly scale up globally.”
He went on to point out that the contemporary world is characterised by an increased appetite for risk, but also by a growing capacity for calculation:
“No decision is really random: all are calculated, even if the calculations are not always correct. This makes us sleep less peacefully because error is possible, but paradoxically also more peacefully because the big global players - the US, China and the former superpower Russia - do not think of using force directly against each other.”
At a lower level, Massolo explained, the picture is more unstable:
“Downstairs there is no rule. Conflicts are exacerbated, and that is where Europe is, between the crises we know: the Middle East and Ukraine.”
The initiative confirmed the commitment of ANCI Lazio in promoting opportunities for in-depth study on strategic issues for administrators and territories, at a time when understanding global contexts is increasingly essential for local choices.