Letta: “Security is not just about weapons; we must forge ahead with the single market”

Brussels – “Security is not just about weapons.” Enrico Letta wants to set the record straight. The author of the report on the future of the single market wants to bring the focus back to the center of the political agenda, the real one, the broader one, and not just reduced to the issue of defense and support of the industry in the sector. “Security means the fight against climate change; it means energy independence, the ability to overcome the bureaucracy that sometimes creates problems for our businesses,” he told the 165th plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions.

Letta’s broader idea of security inevitably passes through an enhancement of what the European Union can already boast, which is at the heart of his work. “Single Market also means security.” According to the former Italian prime minister, this is where the future of the EU is decided. He returns to current events, particularly the US decision to start a trade war. “I think the EU must react and do it in a united way,” he cuts in. Because, in his considerations, something else matters right now: the ability of the EU to be the new United States.

“Over the past 100 years, the US has been the most attractive country for foreigners. They invited everyone to come,” Letta premised. Today, “we Europeans can be the land of hope, of opportunity, of attracting talent, using our single market.” Letta calls it “the freedom to remain,” in addition to the four fundamental freedoms at the heart of the EU, namely the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. The free movement of these four categories represents the four freedoms of the EU, which are necessary for the realization of the single market.

Of course, Letta acknowledges that moving forward will not be easy. To be truly competitive and revitalize the single market, “we need to integrate financial markets.” It is an emphasis that is a clear call to policy, national and European.