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Anzeige_230x277_eTrucks_EN_181030.indd 1 31.10.18 10:29 11 CONTENTS No. 1: Matteo Salvini 8 + Where are Christian Lindner didn’t they now? live up to the hype — or did he? 17 The doers 42 In Germany, Has the left finally found its a new divide answer to right-wing nationalism? 49 The dreamers Artwork 74 85 Cover illustration by Simón Prades for POLITICO All illustrated An Italian The portraits African refugees face growing by Paul Ryding for unwelcome resentment in the country’s south disruptors POLITICO 4 POLITICO 28 SPONSORED CONTENT PRESENTED BY WILFRIED MARTENS CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES THE EAST-WEST EU MARRIAGE: IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO TALK 2019 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ARE A CHANCE TO LEARN FROM LESSONS OF THE PAST AND BRING NATIONS CLOSER TOGETHER BY MIKULÁŠ DZURINDA, PRESIDENT, WILFRIED MARTENS CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES The East-West relationship is like the cliché between an Eastern bride and a Western man. She is beautiful but poor and with a slightly troubled past. He is rich and comfortable. The West which feels underappreciated and the East, which has the impression of not being heard. After 15 years of mar- riage, romance has faded. However, the West-East relationship is merely “The first in need of a marriage counselling and misunder- not a divorce. standings within the “The reason that clichés become cli- European chés is that they are the hammers and Union ap- screwdrivers in the toolbox of com- peared rap- munication,” said Terry Pratchett. And many and Russia on the gas pipeline the common market and a single cur- idly after the that’s exactly what we’re lacking: com- surprised countries of the Visegrad rency. In these areas, we must speak enlargement munication. Four — the Czech Republic, Hungary, with one voice and act efficiently. In in 2004.” Poland and Slovakia. And the efforts all other areas, however, we have to The upcoming European elections can of European institutions to regulate respect the sovereignty, but also the stimulate the much-needed debate on immigrant quotas to harmonize (thus responsibility, of member countries. the future and the reunification of the centralize) the tax systems in individ- The competencies of the European European Union. Unfortunately, the ual countries and to interfere with the institutions, as well as those of the reunification took place in more tech- competencies of the member coun- member countries must be precise- nical than political terms, form pre- tries only exacerbated the situation. ly defined. The folklore of countries vailed over content and declarative blaming the European institutions statements were stronger than the On the other hand, persistent rejec- for their own failures, and granting will to begin a common coexistence. tion and insensitivity in addition to the themselves only the successes and Nevertheless, the European elections reluctance of the new member coun- achievements, must end. of 2019 can provide a platform for an tries to look for common solutions open discussion through which past to shared problems disturbed older In fulfilling such a vision, I see a great mistakes can not only be avoided, but members. They did not only witness opportunity especially for countries of also amended and as a result, Europe an absence of empathy in times of the former Communist bloc. Commu- will be brought closer together. massive immigration waves, but also nism was a crisis of epochal dimen- a presence of strong egoism instead sions. Yet we overcame it. Just re- The first misunderstandings within of attempts to solidarize and seek and member the values we relied on then: the European Union appeared rapidly propose common approaches. the desire for freedom; the belief in after the enlargement in 2004. It all universal values; the rule of law; and started with President Chirac’s dislike The EU needs a new vision; an attrac- justice. The Communist regime intim- for the loud voices of the new mem- tive one for all. We do not even have idated, imprisoned and killed. Yet the ber countries, as the general expec- to look for it, nor artificially create Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, tation for them was to be silent. It one. It is right here. We just need to and those in Baltic nations and the continued with his criticism of these meet it halfway. It is a vision of EU Balkans withstood it and showed tre- nations, claiming that they were com- federalization, built and further devel- mendous resilience. I believe these mitting “social dumping” (although oped on the principle of subsidiarity. countries should offer this experience the newer EU members only tried to It is a vision of deepening European and resilience to the European com- economically promote themselves to cooperation in the areas where no munity. So basically, just like in mar- catch up with the older members). country can manage all alone such as riage counselling, it all comes down Later, the agreement between Ger- defense and security, foreign policy, to this: we need to talk. FROM THE EDITORS If there’s one thing we’ve learned at POLITICO over the last three and a half years, it’s that every year in European politics is an important election year — in one country or another. Leaders emerge. Others fall. Power changes hands. Or it doesn’t. Next year promises to be particularly divided them into three categories: exciting. That’s not just because the doers, dreamers and disruptors. 2019 European Parliament election Topping our list of doers is Ine will feature voters from 27 countries Marie Eriksen Søreide, the Norwegian casting the ballots that will deter- foreign minister who sits on the front mine the next crop of European lines of the West’s not-quite-conflict leaders. It’s because the usually staid with Russia. Our No. 1 dreamer is affair has actually turned into a con- Garance Pineau. As head of European test with serious consequences. affairs for Macron’s La République Nobody better represents the En Marche party, she will be seeking stakes than the person topping our to marshal the Continent’s liberals annual list of people who will shape against Salvini’s offensive. Meanwhile, Europe in the year ahead: Matteo our top disruptor, Sinn Féin leader Salvini. Having risen to dominance Mary Lou McDonald, will be hoping domestically, the Italian far-right Brexit’s bedlam will help her realize leader is taking his brand of fiery pop- her party’s dream of a united Ireland. ulism to the continental battlefield, Other political heavyweights Social Democrat Mattias Tesfaye (dis- Last year’s with every intention of overturning making this year’s list include Span- ruptor No. 2) is leading his center-left feature “How the European order. ish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez party’s increasingly hard line on Italy turned Even as polls predict that Europe’s (doer No. 2); British Labour leader immigration. And Portuguese artist Euroskeptic” traditional conservative and socialist Jeremy Corbyn (disruptor No. 3); Joana Vasconcelos (dreamer No. 6), has proven parties will get the most votes, Ukrainian presidential hopeful Yulia Kosovar popstar Era Istrefi (dreamer especially it’s Salvini and French President Tymoshenko (doer No. 5); Germany’s No. 3) and Guðrið Højgaard (dreamer prescient. Emmanuel Macron who are turning Martin Selmayr (doer No. 3), the con- No. 9), director of tourism for the the election into a battle over the troversial secretary-general of the Faroe Islands, are representing their survival of the European Union in its European Commission; and Bank of homes on the international stage. current form. With Brussels in his England Governor Mark Carney (doer Last year’s magazine included a sights, Salvini is seeking to unite the No. 6), the Canadian steering the feature by Naomi O’Leary — “How Ita- Continent’s nationalists into a Eu- United Kingdom’s economy through ly turned Euroskeptic” — that turned roskeptic bloc capable of reshaping choppy waters. out to be particularly prescient. This the Union. “I’d like to have a presence To be sure, you don’t have to be an year, Zia Weise looks at the surging in all countries,” he told POLITICO office-holder to shape the public dis- German Greens and asks whether the in an interview. “We’ll be one of the cussion. Niklas Zennström (dreamer country’s left has found a response strongest groups,” he predicted. No. 2), the Swedish co-founder of to the rising importance of identity For POLITICO 28’s fourth install- Skype, is working to make Europe politics. And photographer Enri Canaj ment, we’ve done things a bit dif- friendlier to tech startups. Mihai Sora travels to southern Italy to show how ferently. The basic idea remains the (disruptor No. 9), the 102-year-old immigrants of African origin are set- same: 28 people from 28 countries Romanian philosopher, has been bat- tling in to a country where anti-immi- worth watching in the year ahead tling the powers-that-be ever since he grant violence is on the rise. — politicians, business leaders, first took up arms against the Nazis We hope you’ll enjoy reading and activists and artists selected not for as part of the French resistance.