The European elections are now upon us. Over the last month, CNA Lombardia has chosen to meet with its representatives the candidates for the European elections in the North West constituency. Numerous topics were addressed during the meetings which the Confederation underlined as being of primary interest: from gradual sustainable development, to a Sovereign Europe capable of integrating regional economies up to a common voice in foreign policy.
«We represented CNA’s programmatic priorities to the candidates in the European elections of our North West constituency: it was a way to affirm our need for Europe, but above all a particular vision of Europe – underlines Giovanni Bozzini, President of CNA Lombardia -. CNA Lombardia is a pro-European force that looks to the future, but we have also made specific reminders: we are for sustainable development, but with objectives to be achieved gradually. We share objectives and goals but standards and methods often fall too rigidly on micro and small businesses.”
From CNA Lombardia the warning of a united Europe capable of counteracting geopolitical difficulties and above all discussing economic policies that reward the locomotive regions of Europe, such as Lombardy. «We aim to build a sovereign Europe, but we realize that we are far, too far from the ideals of Ventotene – explains Bozzini -. There is a lack of a common voice in foreign policy, there is a lack of ability to defend productions made in Europe in the face of market players who ignore our standards of environmental and social sustainability. We have wars and humanitarian tragedies on which we do not have the ability to intervene in an authoritative way. There is a long way to go and we cannot get scared and return to powerless nations because businesses need Europe. Lombardy is a driving region and the Europe we want is capable of integrating the best energies of regional and cross-border economies.”
«In one month we met 12 candidates from the main political forces, an organizational effort which also involved CNA Brussels, constantly in contact, and which allowed us to multiply the network of relations available for the lobbying action that we intend to carry out in favor of economy and society in Lombardy – states Stefano Binda, General Secretary of CNA Lombardia -. Our requests bring us together with those of the 12 million small businesses represented by SMEunited, of which CNA belongs. We discussed above all different areas including that linked to the European institutional architecture, with the desire for a more democratically integrated and more sovereign Europe, especially in foreign policy, because small businesses now perceive the strong implications of geopolitics on good economics. Furthermore – he continues – we ask for sustainable development tailored to SMEs and not too dogmatic in regulatory requirements and for a European welfare system that is attentive to the incomes of those left behind, i.e. the elderly, disabled, middle class and young people”.
