EDITORIAL 

From Alliance to Uncertainty

We stand at the dawn of a new year, and I must admit that I am not optimistic. At the national level, demographic trends are already taking their toll on retirement policies and the public healthcare system. At the international level, the situation appears even more troubling. Western Europe - once, in my view, the (possible) paradise on Earth - seems to be collapsing, or at least severely threatened, both economically and politically. Alliances are eroding or being openly questioned, including the one we had with the United States.

A few years ago, we heard Russia claiming that Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO constituted an unacceptable threat to its security, a claim that was followed by the outbreak of war. Only three years have passed, and now we hear politicians in NATO countries questioning the very continuity of NATO itself.

One might argue that this instability is merely circumstantial, driven by the current U.S. president, but I am afraid that this may not be the case. It seems to me that, for years, we shared common interests without ever truly committing to cooperation in pursuit of them. During the era of the two blocs, we were united by the presence of a common enemy. Now, after 30 years without that shared adversary, our unity is unraveling.

As often happens in human organizations, when individuals or groups with shared goals fail to cooperate, they begin to compete. Competition turns them into adversaries, and from there it is only a short step to becoming enemies.

As we revisit the various forms of organization within our national scientific community, we should take this lesson and apply it to our own institutions.

 

José Carlos Pedro
(IT President)