Former Italy PM Romano Prodi in conversation with Alex Stubb on global politics.
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- In this episode of Geopolitics with Alex, former Italian Prime Minister and European Commission President Romano Prodi talks about the latest developments in geopolitics.
Romani Prodi and Alex Stubb sat down for an interview after Prodi's Giorgio La Pira lecture at the EUI School of Transnational Governance.
More about the lecture: www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=romano...
#Prodi #RomanoProdi #ukraine #russia #china #eu #geopolitics
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I am a dual citizen of 2 EU countries that entered in 2004, Czech Republic 🇨🇿 and Slovakia 🇸🇰. Thank you Mr. Prodi for doing your part to make it happen.
I enjoyed this episode. Such elder statesmen, with their very long point of view, are quite valuable to hear from.
What a great interview! World can become a better place only with a stronger and democratic Europe 🤘
Every time an Alex video drops I get happy. This video was very enjoyable and insightful. I really appreciate how PM Prodi sees the Chinese and Russian influence growing in Africa, which is quickly becoming more strategic.
Democracy will prevail only if we do our part to make it happen.
What a nice episode 🔥 As a new subscriber, it's so cool to see such former key figures on an interview with finally some normal questions
thank you Romano Prodi for visiting Slovenia when we joined EU
Thanks Alex, such a pleasure listen to you and Prodi!!!!
It has been a long time since I have been able to sit around and watch two much older gentleman have a decent conversation about world topics without devolving into something partisan.
Easy mate, what do you define as much older? 😂😂😂
You have been watching far too much on US politics then.
@@playlisttarmac mea culpa.
What a fantastic interview with a wonderful gentleman. I enjoy so Alex for his knowledge and wisdom. Mr Prodi, is do erudite and sharp. I wish you a great ride. I heartily recommend the "e" bike. From NZ Arohanui.
Great to see and hear Romano Prodi.
Thank you Alex, I cherish your videos as they each feature perspectives that are unique and irreplicable. A scarce resource. Greetings from North Carolina!
I don't agree in much with Prodi but I don't regret voting for him. I can't imagine how much more damage Berlusconi would have done without Prodi keeping him at bay.
I have watched all the videos and easily this is the only honest and realistic video. Thank you to this wise man.
Thank you, really enjoyed it!
My master's paper in International Relations was focused on how important regional powers could be. This was in the 1970's and the world has changed a lot since then. I suppose my paper was a foreshadowing of BRIC+South Africa. But now, Russia is seen as a large North Korea, it's a major power [not a Great Power] only because of its nuclear arsenal. Their former forced allies in Europe hate them and want to join both the EU and NATO to keep them at bay. At present the world's bipolarity is focused on the US vs China. The US has problems, but China has more. China has a bigger military than the US, but the US has a more advanced, very well trained and experienced military. The Chinese have more ships but the US has 12 battle groups centered around nuclear carriers. China's allies are Mighty and Invincible Russia, North Korea, Pakistan and Cambodia. The US allies are NATO [alone more powerful than Russia], ANZUS, Japan and South Korea {these are the major ones, and there are others like Canada and Finland that are powerful on their own].
This is not US nationalist propaganda. The US does not force countries into alliance, as Russia does, and does not treat allies as tributary states the way China does. It is true that the US neighbors have had problems with us, but Mexico and Canada are still independent and conduct their own policies, sometimes in opposition to the US. Professor Stubb can tell you that a country offered alliance with China, Russia or the US will usually choose the US even with reservations. I've asked Poles, Estonians, Czechs, South Koreans and others if they prefer America, China or Russia as an ally. Russia was never even considered and there was only a little hesitation in dismissing China. This is Real Politik, in the real world not the bygone dreams of the far left and far right. The French may be right about international politics, "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," But I prefer "history does not repeat, but it rhymes." And of course as Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás wrote, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," and "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Beautifully stated.
@@d0lvl0 Thanks, Professor Stubb brings out the academic in viewers, I guess.
I've asked Poles, Estonians, Czechs, South Koreans and others if they prefer America, China or Russia as an ally.
You asked allies of the US, if they prefer their current ally to two countries they see as their rivals? Their answer does not surprise me.
Ask African and Middle-eastern countries, you'll get a very different response. The US has been benevolent with its allies, brutal with everyone else.
I'm not trying to say the other two are better. I wouldn't trust any major power with bringing peace to the world.
@@t1enne Iran and Iraq certainly would have reason to be wary of the US. The US joined the UK and USSR in meddling in Persian affairs. Iran wouldn't be where it is now if we hadn't deposed Mosaddegh and reinstalled the Shah. In the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, we turned legitimate intervention into an illegitimate occupation.
The Vietnamese government might want an agreement with the US to keep China away, but they would be very cautious about it.
@@JMM33RanMA I think your insights are astute.
Thanks for spending the time to create and share this content perspective
Thank you! 🙏
A great interview! Thanks a lot!
84 jees, wow, he's seen the world change over and over and over again in his life time. Great talk Alex, thank you!
What a wonderful interview.
Thanks Prof Stub. Always an informative and relevant commentary.
What a great talk with a great ending
Finally some authentic European voices!
A true European, from Italy.
Thank you Alex for a great interview of a thoughtful man! Slava Ukraine!
Looking at this from Finland. Our foreign policy reach is so small that the Mediterranean is already too far away. And we are dependent on American security guarantees against Russia. And most of our trade is inside EU. So to us, its easy to say that Americans can take the foreign policy lead on everything. For all the Eastern Europeans, its the same situation basically. Its very different for the bigger European nations who have more of a global presence. If Finland joins the alliance against China, it costs us very little, except in foreign trade. We do not have to fight around Taiwan. The French do. So at the very least, we should not be hypocritical about this.
Its fairly stunning that many Europeans have internalized US culture and interests so deeply. Saying that Europeans should lead themselves in foreign policy is controversial when it should be obvious. That also applies to a smaller nation. No European leader has any real influence in Washington. The White House decides on which crisis to act or not to act. And because we are dependent on US security guarantees, we have to go along. I am old enough to remember the past 23 years quite well. USA only acts when its in their interests to do so. All the war crimes they did in Iraq and Afghanistan did not matter, because they are the strongest and do not participate in so many international treaties. Americans are always willing to break the rules to protect the rules. Look at AUKUS. Backstabbing the French did not matter, because its just the French. And who trusts them anyway, right? Giving the non-nuclear Australians weapons-grade plutonium is against every rule of non-proliferation, but that does not matter. Australia is now stuck with the most expensive and the most slow industrial project of their history that will take them 30 years complete. And so they are locked in against China with a defence project that will weaken their defence when it matters the most. But USA is fighting for democracy, so nothing matters. Latin America is currently very democratic and very peaceful. And they have zero interest in American leadership. US leadership among the democracies is not based on any rules or principles, but on their strength.
But let us leave the quality of American leadership aside for a moment. Look at Ukraine. Some seem to believe Europe was some kind of empty vessel that was filled with Biden's leadership. But if you look at the decisions made, its clear that Europeans led themselves and did a long list of things that Americans did not even ask for. We can do that again. Its also becoming increasingly clear that USA cannot lead the Ukraine War into a victory and is already looking for a way out. European security is hostage to American internal politics. It is intolerable.
European leadership has already been decisive in science, economy, ecology, corporate regulation and humanitarian issues. We can pool our resources to build our own defences so we can set our own agenda. Dividing the world into some kind of imaginary blocks according to compass points makes no sense anymore. USA is not strong enough to dominate everywhere at once, as they did in 2000. We are living in a world where middle and great powers have risen to challenge the superpowers. USA is strongest, but the distance between them and us has shrunk. The relationships between the various actors has also become much more nuanced and ambivalent. Nations can cooperate and compete at the same time in different matters. Saying that we have to choose between USA and China is not only misleading, but dangerous. We do not have to be allies with China. But we also do not have to go to war with them to protect American hegemony.
In the 90s I was hoping for a democratic Russia as a counterweigh to the USA in Europe. An alternative. Stupid me.
When you say Latin America is peaceful, it depends on whether you mean internally or externally. Also when it comes to ukraine, the us could not simply act in europe without European agreement. Europe had to see for itself what the baltics, the us, and ukraine itself had been saying all along. Even then,, certain nations didnt want to act with strength. Yes the us has the most sway because of its military and economic dominance. But that is natural as the us exports both energy security. Whoever you buy anything from usually has ultimate say of how you use it. The us is by no means an altruistic saint, but lets not act as if the China and russia govts are your friends. They certainly are not.
@@nunyabusiness863 It is not a world where we have to choose between USA and China. We can do what is best for us.
Finland is a member country of NATO and is under the USA’s security umbrella and not supporting USA hegemony, is it not like asking for a free lunch? Without world domination how can USA provide the protection? And how can you stop a country like Russia having 6000+ nuclear warheads and is not happy to have the USA as a sole hegemon ? With the nukes,does Finland joining NATO make any difference for a peaceful future? Or are we heading for WW3 with nukes earlier?
@@redhillbetta5424 You are basically saying that the price for NATO membership is doing what USA wants. At least you are honest about it. You are also admitting that Taiwan War will be about protecting US hegemony against China.
Dr Alex and his guest are living between Clouds !!!
Love the content! Does anyone recommend any other similar channels?
Democracy will fail (or at least fall inward) in a multi-polar world. Democracy is a fragile, precious thing. It cannot survive the onslaught of autocratic enemies. The only way for it to thrive is to find other democratic nations as allies. But in a multi-polar world where even democratic countries compete against each other, they will not be able to unite against the forces of autocracy. The strongest democracies may be able to survive, but other will be forced to take positions or make concessions they are not comfortable with to avoid conflict while also no longer being able to effect the outside world.
This is what the future holds. We have let our own greed get the best of us. We are going to see an era of rich autocratic nations being able to buy, bribe, or bully their way to what they want. The best we can hope for is that enough democratic countries survive that when they eventually realize they are stronger together that they are still strong enough to take a stand.
Delightful man, Romano Prodi.
I agree with Prodi that the rest of the Balkans have to become members of the EU. Yet, two big problems, Bosnia is a non functioning state, and if the EU would pull out, war would break out in a matter of months. Dodik wamts to secede, and his ambitions are fueled (inofficially by Belgrade). Serbia has a revisonist, government, remeber Vučić iz Šešelj's deciple and dreams of a greater Serbia. The feeling of the population is anti-western, the idea of a Serbian World is very strong, and it won't change any time soon. Although I believe that a Serbia in EU would be beneficial for the Stability of the Region, currently I don't see it happening any time soon.
I disagree with Podi's assessment on the links between US & Europe. We be reminded that the US followed a policy of isolation before WW2 and reluctantly entered the war principally due to Pearl Harbour bombing by Japan. The US definitely does compete with the EU block, but also does not agree with EU policy as regards both Russia and China. The EU reluctantly severed its energy imports during the early onset of the Russia-Ukraine War and the US was dead against Germany's economic engagements with Russia as regards energy imports. The EU, again especially Germany, is working counter to US policy in regards to trade with China. The US wishes to create a break away from critical trade dependency with China, but the EU continues to engage China even closer despite China's less friendly position westwards. I feel the US policy is correct in that much more distance needs to be created between the west and what are more and more acting out as rouge states - both Russia and China. As Russia and China have clearly stated nationalistic, expansionist political doctrines, that do not support the extent of trade with the west. As both Russia and China have utilised their enrichment from trading past two decades with the west to bolster their military expansion and geopolitical expansion that is clearly aimed to menace the west and totally counter to International Law and the UN Charter. Therefore the EU's policy with Russia and China are totally wrong minded and although the US policy is not perfect, it is a darn sight better positioned than the EU. Let me remind you that Trump very correctly chastised EU block members within NATO for not contributing the agreed sum - 2% of GDP and look at what we have now! A war that is chewing up military resources faster than what can be produced. Again US policy was correct and EU wrong!
an economical war, is going to make it easier to get into a military war.
Did you factor that into your analysis also...
US is more dependent to China exports then EU was to Russian oil and gas... we were basically independent from Ruzzian oil&gas in half a year
do you think US can do that with China?
I agree that the USA has a better handle on the threat from autocratic states -- aka "the new axis of malevolent anti-Western intent". European governments really ought to remember the dangers of appeasement, but it appears that they don't.
I think that tRUMP meant, "buy more weapons from the USA!"
Typo alert! "rouge states". Unless you meant "states that apply pink powder to their cheeks", you intended to write "rogue states".
@@Beliefish China has no energy reserves (oil & gas); very little critical commodities. China is basically a large factory, utilising cheap labour to produce things using imported raw materials. China exports go mainly to the US & EU. Cut China off from these markets and China is worth nothing. China needs the west. The west can do without China; by moving production back westwards or to other friendly shores. I'm doing my bit by choosing not to buy things made in China or Russia. If enough consumers do the same, that would spell disaster for China.
With hindsight, it is easy to say that we, the EU should have invested more militarily. Nobody thought that Russia is going to invade Ukraine. The West accepted Crimea thinking that it will stop there. The future looks bleak and China instead of helping Ukraine is helping Russia cause peace is not favourable to president Xi. We need to boycott China and hit it economically cause China's culture is greedy, money money, and money.
great insight. But will anybody listen to him？
I tried to gauge how the the statement "Of course I have always loved to have the cushion countries between NATO and Russia" (7.03-7.18) went down with Dr Stubb. Being Swedish, I've never much cared for that role in world politics. Other than that, a great conversation.
Alex, I always look forward to another one of your 'chats' and when I see one, a big smile comes across my face because I know I will learn something and be challenged to think! At the beginning, when you are talking to Sr Prodi about EU enlargement, he said the Balkans MUST become members of the EU. I wonder if it is possible to explore this deeper with him at some other time. As I have spent a lifetime studying History, nthe Balkans have always been such a wild card. They only time they had peace was with Tito and for a century it has been a powder keg. I am really interested in his and your reasons for thinking that EU membership will all of a sudden stop this and calm things down? I, personally, think that it will end up being 5 Hungary's, 5 headaches for the EU. I would much rather see Ukraine and Moldova first although I do agree with Albania becoming a member.
I would agree, if Albania was full of Germans…
👏
United States of Europe now, please. From Portugal to Estonia, let's become one country and one people
Il “mortadella” 😂
What did I get out of this episode? Keep cycling.
too short ... i know videos are kept relatively short (20 mins or so) ... but sometimes you could make an exception.
UA-cam is ruthless forum for long format. Silicon Curtain has amazing guests but an hour long videos prevent the growth of that channel. Usually less is more.
We gave the Chinese the means to become powerful and we helped a dictatorial system to be the cause of world uncertainty. Greed is the motive powering these major cataclysim.
Don't be a propagandized idiot. China hasn't dropped a bomb or fired a single bullet in a foreign land in decades.
The U.S. meanwhile has done the exact opposite and is now reacting destructively to China supplanting them.
Everyone with a clear mind knows which country is the biggest cause of world uncertainty and it isn't China.
Another interesting and informative session followed by my relatively boring message here in the comment section. Thank you, Alex. Always a pleasure.
these guys are total bros
Poland is in NATO and that's why Ruzzia wouldn't dare attacking it. EU has nothing to do with it.
"...finland's guns away from ukraine just now!"
✌️🇺🇦
European countries will spend more on weapons instead economical growth. Inflation, unsatisfied citizens due to inflation, absence of security policy, absence of leaders... that 's the status of Europe today
Say no to NATO.
Love Prodi we need more men like him
Parli per lei. E' un traditore del popolo italiano.
L'ultimo PdC decente d'Italia.😢
Mr. President, it will be an honor for us Sicilians to see you walk up Mount Etna.
They should do a song "who is the western Baghdad Booob, , jens, biden boris and soooo oooon , tralalalala ballon and sooo oooon, lalalala"
Yes, Russia have to learn the west to respect the rest of the world..we in the west are making folles uf ourselves in the world. We in sweden and finland was forced into nato, didn't even vote. All bad things we says about the east mirrors us in the west.. This is Baghdad Bob style
Romano Prodi schould be in Jail
come on, look who's there. I would like to make a clarification about this man so diligently presented. In summary and without wasting too much time that unlike our friend sitting here he is not paid ad infinitum...he is the cause of the privatizations and deregulations that have stagnated the economy for 30 years, companies like Telecom, Autostrade, the Italian chemistry the iron and steel industry, all destroyed, we are starting to get out of it now, thanks Prodi
Esatto fratello!
Heart warming and interesting, too! 💚🌿