The former head of both the European Central Bank and the Italian government complained Monday about the “leadership vacuum” resulting from weakened leadership in France and Germany.
“The Franco-German leadership has been weakened,” Mario Draghi said at an awards ceremony in Milan. “But I don’t see any other leadership that can lead Europe towards a common future. There is a leadership vacuum, but we must be patient and wait for the outcome of the elections in Germany.”
Draghi was referring to the dissolution of the center-left coalition in Berlin, which is expected to lead to new elections in February and the ouster of French government leader Michel Barnier. French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to quickly appoint a new prime minister.
Draghi was head of the European Central Bank from 2011 to 2019. He later headed the government in his home country in 2021/2022. A few weeks ago he published a report on the future of the European Union on behalf of the then European Commission. In his speech he spoke of “difficult moments” for Europe. At the same time, Draghi called for optimism to achieve something.
“Because if you’re pessimistic, you stay home.”
