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Dec.26/04 - Jan.2, 2005 |
7 - A convinced Europeanist at heart
Italian Consul Luca Brofferio believes in greater awareness of European Union
By Antonio Maglio
Originally Published: 2004-08-22
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Luca Brofferio
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Luca Brofferio, a diplomat with a proven track record and much experience, is the Consul General of Italy in Toronto. His task is to create awareness on European themes in the political, economic and cultural bodies Canada's most important province, Ontario, during the semester of the Italian Presidency of the European Union.
The task assigned to him, as to the other Italian consuls in this country, was given by the ambassador in Ottawa, Marco Colombo: "They will represent, as they have represented in the past, the interests of Italian collective," declared Colombo in a recent interview with Tandem. "In the meantime, they will also be the spokespersons of this reality, that is, the European Union, to which Italy has contributed through much dedication."
Will it be a difficult task, or, as they say, all downhill?
"For me it will definitely be a stimulating commitment," answers Luca Brofferio, "because I am a convinced Europeanist, but I have my doubts that it is all going downhill..."
Why?
"For at least two reasons. The first is that in Canada, and in general in all of North America, there is a total detachment from the dynamic of European communities. Here one knows about the Euro's existence and it is known because one sees everyday that it is stronger than the American dollar. Then, it is known that with Euros in one's pockets, one can go shopping in 15 countries of the Old World. But this is where it starts and ends."
And what is attributing to this detachment?
"There are multiple causes: Canadians gravitate towards the orbit of the United States in creating their culture, where the world rotates around New York City and Washington. There is a proverb in these parts: 'Who succeeds in doing something in New York can succeed anywhere.' It is a saying that spreads across the Atlantic. As a consequence, there is not a historical vision that helps to understand what happens over the hurdle. This means that people are used to looking only at the present and only that which affects their immediate and personal interests. Here, futurologists do not exist: that is why it is natural that the European Union, where everything is projected towards the future, means little here..." That is also why the press has lost interest.
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