The usual conversation
1 – Europe talking to itself. Barring any last-minute twist, there's a strong likelihood that a "solution" to the war in Ukraine will be found in a private meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, without any regard for European or Kyiv's demands. If this were to happen, and with due regard for distance, it would be a return to the early days of the Cold War, when Washington and Moscow dictated the rules and the others, namely the Europeans, listened and... remained silent.
The reality is harsh. After accepting Trump's negotiating blackmail regarding tariffs, the Europeans have become more or less irrelevant to the US President. In his eyes, and within the logic of personal power within which he operates, the Europeans have already been tamed. They celebrated 15% tariffs as if it were a victory, committed to buying more American weapons and fuel, agreed to increase their NATO contributions, and even shelved the possibility of launching a digital tax against Silicon Valley companies. Faced with so much capitulation, and refusing any kind of confrontation for fear of being scorched, they now risk being left talking to themselves.
2 – The horror goes unpunished. Are there intolerable terrors, and others that are accepted? Shouldn't condemning thousands of people to death by starvation merit the unanimous, firm, and vigorous condemnation of all nations? A Europe that rose up in the name of freedom, democracy, and human rights cannot, especially in the most difficult times, have double standards regarding what is happening in Ukraine and Gaza.
Especially now that it's clear how violent and terrifying Benjamin Netanyahu's promised final offensive will be to complete the total conquest of the territory in the near future. This is no longer a war, but simply a massacre. Without international control or oversight. As in the worst totalitarian regimes, just identifying someone as an "enemy" is enough to immediately annihilate them. Then the propaganda machine does the rest, as seen in the elimination of Anas al-Sharif and five other Al-Jazeera journalists: even with the Qatari television network, several NGOs, and members of the United Nations denying it, Israel insists the reporter was a member of Hamas, and… that's the end of it. Gone are the days when the death of two American journalists in Nicaragua precipitated the fall of the Somoza regime. Now, in times of banalized indignation, not even the cruelest horror can command more than five minutes of attention.
3 – Fires are preventable. Some narratives barely change. Every summer, complaints about forest fires and accusations about the lack of firefighting resources—especially aerial firefighting—are repeated, always mythologized as if they were the solution capable of instantly extinguishing the fires. Memories are short, and when faced with yet another advance of the flames in the forests, almost always in disarray, no one notices that everyone repeats the same arguments and accusations, only with the added nuance of saying one thing when in government and the exact opposite in opposition.
If we stopped focusing solely on ourselves, we would also quickly realize, based on what we've seen in some of the world's most developed countries, such as the US, Canada, and Australia, that large fires are nearly impossible to control—even with dozens of aircraft on duty and the best-trained firefighters. That's why investing in prevention is crucial. And, when they do break out, focusing entirely on civil protection to avoid fatalities. Of course, this rational stance doesn't fuel controversy or fuel hatred. If we continue to indulge in the usual outbursts of anger, we shouldn't be surprised if, before long, immigrants start being blamed for the fires. It's been a long time since we've had enough.
4 – Whip in court? The separation of powers is one of the pillars of a democratic regime. And respect for institutions should be a mandatory topic in all school subjects, not just in Citizenship Education. As expected, the Constitutional Court rejected the Foreigners' Law. And, immediately, the President of the Republic, as is his prerogative, returned it to Parliament. That's how institutional rules are.
What do some want now? Change the rules, change the Constitution, change the composition of the Constitutional Court, change... anything that contradicts them. We already know how that ends.
