EU heads of state receive Zelensky united in Brussels. Europe has to avoid internal divisions

Public opinions are not always happy with what their democratic representative government does. But this is why we have democratic governments: they are supposed to decide for the good of the people in the long term, not only for their constituencies to be supportive and so for their own power.

Ukraine President Zelensky arrived here in Brussels this week for the first time after the Russian invasion and found a united Europe. A Europe of the states that want to welcome Ukraine soon. A European Union in which all governments agreed in one way or another to support Ukraine's fight for its freedom and our freedom. Even if their public opinions are not always unanimously agreeing with their governments. ?

Supranational democratic organizations, like the EU, support their governments in times of crisis in order to remain democratic, avoiding to go towards securitization or nationalism or divisions. It happened with the European economic crisis in the past, with restrictive economic measures taken by the EU governments that were not always supported by their populations. It occurred with health crisis, like the recent Covid one, with restrictive social measures also not always welcomed by the people. And it happened with the current European security crisis with the first war of conquest on European soil since WWII.

Public opinions of Europe in some countries, like Italy, are currently divided between who support the increasing intervention of European and NATO countries side by side with Ukraine and who is scared that this could escalate, making Putin decide to attack other parts of European continent with the involvement of NATO. This is why is so important that the EU act together to support Ukraine. Not only because it shows determination, but also because governments know more than population what is the rational choice to do, learning from history and past mistakes to not repeat them again.

Ukraine will be saved from Russian aggression only if the EU and NATO remain united as they showed in the last year. It is a test bed for the future of the EU and NATO. If someone, for national interests or personal gains, to receive a boost from domestic public opinion, wants to show its “exceptionalism” respect to others, it could weaken Europe. This is why what Macron did, inviting Zelensky and Scholtz to Paris the day before going to Brussels, just after he visited London, could be seen as a divisive action (Macron is not new to personalistic approaches, like the visit he did to Putin after the starting of the invasion). Bilateral agreements are possible, and actually needed, as every country support Ukraine with different tools based on their national decisions. But smaller groups meetings risk to create divisions that are not very wise in this moment. The other European countries could feel an attempt to exclude them from some type of “VIP” group. Imagine Poland for example, who has been the most supportive EU country to Ukraine, not only with weapons but hosting millions of refugees.

Supranational organizations, and in particular this special political animal unique in the history of the international system, as the EU, should remain compact in a moment of crisis, even at the expense of some national public opinions. Divisions weaken the EU and open the space for new meddling from outside powers, in our case Russia and China, first of all with info war and information manipulation that these two dictatorships master. It is the strategy that ancient Romans knew too: divide et impera (“divide and conquer”).

The EU must say that there is no “Two speed” or “Multi-speed” Europe. There are 27 countries, for now, and all have to be included and listened to in their national interest, to find common solutions to common problems, including such security big crises.

EU is starting to show that is not only an economic or regulatory union but a union of common collective defense, of shared values for “continental security” not only for the national security of everyone. “United in diversity” (In varietate concordia) is the motto of the EU and has to be applied also in practice, in particular now. We owe it to the Ukraine people, who will be welcome soon in the European family, and to all of us.