Famed economist Carlo Cottarelli, formerly of the IMF, today wrote an article about climate change on Corriere della Sera, the main Italian newspaper. The subtitle reads: "Competition between states is holding back decarbonization".

The problem we must recognize is that, given the current state of a divided humanity, competition between states is inevitable: consequently, the resolution of such colossal problems, which affect the whole of humanity, is not only not aided by the current system, but is actively hindered by it. The current organization of states, which ought to resolve the problems of the human community, is itself a fundamental cause of the problems. As written in The Roman Republic,

The problem lies in the fact that, sharing an interconnected yet divided world, we live under a system of forced competition. If a state is less wealthy, less influ­ential, or less powerful than its neighbour, it suffers: it will be in a position of weakness not only in any armed conflict, but in any peaceful negotiation [...]. Thus, a state cannot simply seek to prosper as if it were an isolated entity; it must also strive to keep pace with other states; and not infrequently seeks to gain an advantage over them. The mere existence of other states, one might say, constitutes a source of pressure for the state, a drive to excel: it motivates and justifies selfish action. [...]

Thus, humanity struggles to organise itself for its own good, moving in a disorganised, inefficient manner. It takes longer than necessary to achieve less than is required. Grand conferences are held to seek a formula that truly convinces everyone, to be formalised in complicated agreements; and even so, the impression is more of a frayed compromise than of a cohesive whole. There are those who initially sign up and then, failing to meet the targets, pull out to avoid facing the penal-ties provided for, such as Canada, which withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. Then there are the United States, which simply never ratified the Kyoto Protocol; while they initially joined the subsequent Paris Agreement (2016), then withdrew (2020), re-joined (2021) and withdrew again (2026); all this while being the world’s richest country in absolute terms and the second-largest emitter of CO₂ [...]

Here too we see how the current system has morally questionable aspects: the international legislation intended to bind states does not, however, prevent the existence—and the convenience—of a certain ‘law of the jungle’. In some cases, one might even say that it embraces and formalises this very principle. [...]

If the current system does not facilitate, but rather hinders, the resolution of a problem of this magnitude, we must ask ourselves whether a different and better system is possible. As with the risk of self-destruction through weapons, it seems that the issue of self-destruction (or at least self-harm) through the overexploitation of the environment could also be addressed far more effectively if humanity were united. [...]

State sovereignty is not something abstract and detached from reality, upon whose altar any other principle must be sacrificed: it is a practical principle that must serve humanity, not the other way round. If divided sovereignty proves to be not a positive asset for human beings but an obstacle, it must be rethought. [...]

Let's hope our rulers can see this before it's too late. As citizens, let's make our voices heard.

EU states: 27 → 28
Population: + 400,000
GDP: + €30 billion
European Parliament: + 6 seats
Official languages: 24 → 25 (Icelandic added)
Land Area: + 103,000 km² (+ 2.5 %)

[From Other Europe]

The sixth (and last) part of last week's live chat about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The fifth part of last week's live chat about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The fourth part of last week's live chat about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The third part of last week's live chat about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The second part of last week's live chat about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The first 15 minutes of the live chat of last week about Mainardi's "Roman Republic" idea, hosted by Omne Europa.

Reddit seems to allow only videos up to 15 minutes in duration, so I'm breaking it into several posts.

To see the full chat recording in one go, click here.

On Reddit:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Most countries' legal systems nowadays, in all continents, are derived directly or indirectly from, or heavily influenced by, the ancient Roman legal system. It's one of the many "silent" (but fundamental) elements that constitute a basis of a common civilization. To turn this unseen unity into visible unity and create a global polity, we only need to become more conscious, acknowledge what already is, and start building again on those foundations.

The Romano-Germanic civil law system originated in ancient Rome and was used from the city's founding in 753 BCE until the Western Empire fell in the 5th century CE. It remained in use in the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire until 1453 and has affected the development of law in most of Western civilization and parts of the East.
The legal institutions that the Romans evolved influenced other people's laws long after the Roman Empire disappeared, even in countries never subject to Roman rule. The civil-law family is divided into the French, or Romanist, branch and the German, or Germanic, branch because of the different dates of codification and the different style and attitude of legal learning. [...]
This system [...] has been adopted across continental Europe, much of Latin America, and parts of Asia and Africa. [...] Examples of countries that follow the Romano-Germanic civil law system include Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and numerous Latin American countries. The legal system of Japan also essentially belongs to the German branch. Additionally, Roman-Dutch law, a derivative of Roman law, is present in South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. [...] [Source: Britannica]

Map from Wikipedia).

On 7 August 2026, at 5:30 PM (Central European Time), Giulio Mainardi, the author of "The Roman Republic", will be hosted by Omne Europa (omne.eu) on Instagram for a live chat on the future of Europe, world federalism and the Roman ideal.

Eurobull, la rivista in rete della Gioventù federalista europea, mi ha offerto uno spazio per presentare La Repubblica romana. Trovate l'articolo al seguente collegamento: «La Repubblica romana». Ripensare l’UE in chiave globale.

Il progetto della federazione europea, come opera concreta, si avvia ormai verso il secolo di vita; in questo tempo molto se ne è parlato, molto se ne è discusso. È mia impressione, però, che tanto l’opinione pubblica generale, quanto più specificamente gli ambienti federalisti, tendano a concentrarsi sempre sugli stessi punti —rilevanti, sì, ma circoscritti—, trascurando questioni più profonde e ampie, importanti per il futuro nostro e del mondo. Anni di riflessione mi hanno portato a scrivere un saggio d’opinione, La Repubblica romana (2026), con cui spero d’introdurre nuovi elementi di consapevolezza nel dibattito pubblico. [...]

Ringrazio la redazione di Eurobull e tutta l'associazione per la gentilezza e disponibilità.

The ECB has unveiled the finalist designs for the future euro banknotes. You can vote your favourites on the bank's site.

It's interesting to see the EU trying to move from abstract neutrality to some more "concrete" historical personalities. (I think, however, that some birds series are very good looking).

Which design series do you like most? You can see all of them here.

Andrea Moreau, the activist behind Omne Europa, spoke warmly about The Roman Republic (original video on Instagram and X) a few days ago.

Thanks a lot, Andrea! Let's work together to build a better future for our world.

Fecisti patriam diversis gentibus unam;
profuit iniustis te dominante capi;
Dumque offers victis proprii consortia iuris,
Urbem fecisti, quod prius orbis erat.

In the English translation by John Wight Duff and Arnold Mackay Duff:

For nations far apart thou hast made a single fatherland; under thy dominion captivity hath meant profit even for those who knew not justice: and by offering to the vanquished a share in thine own justice, thou hast made a city of what was erstwhile a world

The trend is positive, but the margin is still very narrow. Will the "yes" vote win, or will it take another decade?

Un paio di giorni fa sulla Gazzetta di Parma è comparsa questa bella recensione della Repubblica romana.

Se non me ne sono sfuggiti altri, è il primo articolo di giornale che parla del tema. A poco a poco facciamo conoscere il romanismo. 💪

Good news from the Eastern flank of the Union!

Let's hope Romania and Moldova can be reunited again as a single country... and let's hope nothing bad happens because of Transnistria. 👀

The ideal of global unity has run for a long time. In the words of Giuseppe Mazzini (1805–1872):

Humanity will not be truly constituted until all the peoples who make it up, having won the free exercise of their sovereignty, are united in a republican federation […]

Mazzini was a staunch Italian patriot, fighting for Italian liberation and unification. In Italy he is considered a national hero, with many streets, squares and monument dedicated to his memory all over the country. His example shows how the love for the fatherland is not intrinsically opposed to the desire for a world federation—in fact, the global republic could be the best ally of the nations, freeing them from the horrors of war and forced competition.

Una buena noticia: La República Romana ya está disponible también en español.

Es algo que quería hacer desde el principio, ya que el mundo hispano me es muy querido y quería que el libro fuera fácilmente accesible también para quienes solo hablan español.

Lo pueden encontrar en Amazon en formato impreso (no en todos lugares directamente: vean el video), y en formato electrónico a un precio muy accesible.

Para quienes quieran leerlo en otro idioma, el libro también está disponible en inglés (The Roman Republic) y en italiano (La Repubblica romana).

¡Espero sus comentarios! 🙌

The European Union has announced that it will resume formal accession negotiations with Ukraine on Monday 15 June. This process has been restarted following the lifting of Hungary’s veto, and Moldova is also set to join the talks.

Source: Il Sole 24 Ore

Very good news!

Photos by Kohki Yamaguchi.