reopeningeurope

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Here is the first cut of our trip, a 27 minute documentary that was aired at the annual event of renowned think tank Bruegel. Enjoy and feel free to like and comment on the YouTube page!

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On the fourth episode of this summer series of The Sound of Economics, recorded on the road as part of the Reopening Europe project, we talk with Antje von Dewitz, CEO of the outdoor equipment company- Vaude. We met her on June 17th in Tettnang, near Lake Konstanz, on the German/Swiss border, where her family company is located.

The Reopening Europe team was the first external visitor’s group to be admitted at the company headquarters after lockdown. Antje told Giuseppe about the effect of COVID-19 on her company, on retailers and consumer behaviour, and she told us of her vision for a post-pandemic economy which should work for the common good.

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The OECD has estimated that COVID-19 will cause a 60% decline in international tourism in 2020. This could rise to 80% if recovery is delayed until December.

During their trip, the Reopening Europe team noticed the direct impact of the lockdown on cities such as Strasbourg or Salzburg, which were practically devoid of the usual tourist crowds.

In this latest installment of our summer series on Reopening Europe's trip across Europe at a unique moment, Giuseppe is in conversation with Ivo Tarantino, Head of Public Affairs & Media Relations at Altroconsumo, the largest independent and non-party political consumers’ organisation in Italy.

They hear contributions from-

Leone, a Gondolier in Venice;

Nives Monda, restaurant owner in the historic centre of Naples;

Emilio Casalini, journalist and writer;

Elvio De Monte, architect in Venice;

Jeannette Neumann, Bloomberg correspondent in Madrid.

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In this second episode of Reopening Europe, we unpack some reflections about borders and the pandemic which we have collected along our journey.

Giuseppe Porcaro is joined in by Martina Tazzioli, Lecturer in Politics and Technology at Goldsmith University, London. Her work is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach to political theory, migration and border studies and political geography. Recently, she has investigated the technologisation of the borders and how technologies constitute a battlefield for migrants, states and non-state actors.

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This is a summer feature of the Sound of Economics in cooperation with the Reopening Europe project.

In June 2020, as Europe exited the COVID-19 Lockdown, we traveled more than 2700 kilometres through the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia and Italy to collect voices from the ground as the borders were reopening.

In this introductory episode, Giuseppe Porcaro chats with Michael Leigh. Their conversation was recorded in Florence on the 23rd of June. Michael is a Bruegel Senior Fellow and also Academic Director of the Masters in European Public Policy at the John Hopkins University in Bologna.

Michael told him about his experience locally in Bologna and they discussed the impact of the pandemic on various levels of government and the future of Europe.

Giuseppe gave Michael some insight about the journey and reveals which border was the only one on the trip where the crew were asked to produce papers.

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(via https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iprbU2TIjQibvdq2ExwEz?si=LADyTAdBTQGztn7UrwUw4g)

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Highlights from our event at Numeroventi, an amazing art space in #Florence, ahead of their grand reopening yesterday. In our activity last week we created a symbolic map of Florence on the courtyard floor with ancient tiles, and investigating the relationship of real Florentines with their city post-#COVID19.

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Ugo Rossi welcomed us to #Naples and connected us with a network of urban activists. This quote is from an interview we filmed with him in Santa Fede Liberata, a former monastery turned community centre for the needy. Watch the full interview on reopeningeurope.com @europarama @goodpointagency @andrisoren #reopening #europe #reopeningeurope #borders #napoli https://www.instagram.com/p/CCLxTpHAaDG/?igshid=1wdyaq2uggn1i

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RECAP DAY 17 (27 JUNE)

Naples.

The last day on the physical road was not the last day of the project. We closed in the streets of Naples, a city yearning to be open despite caution and circumstances.

In the morning we participated in a civic assembly organised in the historical centre. Citizens discussed how to reclaim public space post-lockdown. We met Nives Monda, who owns a traditional tavern there. She told us both how difficult it was to keep her business going, and about how the sadness of lockdown was increased by the silence of her building. Actually this was not due to quarantine, but to the fact that the building has become full of Airbnb locations leaving the city empty of its citizens.

We also met O’ Capitan’ — a street artist and one of the founders of an association which shelters artists in the centre. During the lockdown he used the typical basket attached to a rope that Neapolitans use to lift up groceries from downstairs to their balcony as a new form of solidarity for those who did not have the means to buy food. “The solidarity basket” translates as “O’ Panaro Solidale” in Neapolitan. Now his association is facing difficulties as the landlord of their shelter does not want to renew their contract. O Capitan is crowdfunding so that organisations like his can buy their venue and be independent of touristification.

At the fascinating location of Santa Fede Liberata, a former monastical site turned halfway house and community centre, Ugo Rossi, an urban geographer and activist, explained how all these stories link up to the solidarity projects that Neapolitans are using to reclaim their city.

Naples Gay Pride was where we finished up, and cold there have been a better final spot to finish our physical road trip? Young people shared with us their hopes for reopening, and that this period would somehow last... Yet they asked a lot of relevant questions about what the reopening really means, and what “new normal” will emerge out of all of this.

We walked along the seaside path of Napoli with the city’s population out en masse, and this ancient city somehow felt like a futuristic utopia in the sunset. The reopening of Europe might feel fragile but we were left buoyed by the eternal feeling of community.

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At #Napoli #naples gay pride, Christina (right) told us about how #covid changed her study plans and her hopes for a #reopening of her city’s mentality #europe https://www.instagram.com/p/CB-vjimguDc/?igshid=7y1f51kvuyie

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#Naples #Napoli #pride https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8w0EbgfUG/?igshid=41qnjh03i8la

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Napoli tour via Facebook live #reopening #europe #reopeningeurope #borders https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8s3yZAUEu/?igshid=74hjt2q340ql

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Inspiring stories of #Naples solidarity initiatives during the pandemic and a positive vision for the future of the city, from urban geographer in a fabulous community space called Santa Fede Liberata

#reopening #europe #reopeningeurope

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Nives Monda of La Taverna di Santa Chiara, #naples restaurant, we interviewed her about her campaign against the touristification of the city #reopening #Europe #reopeningeurope #borders https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8GS4Tg5cA/?igshid=1xm6x2kkepoa0

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#lockdown life in #Naples, rules to be followed to enter a restaurant. Our temperatures checked out okay, so we could eat in the tavern of a local community activist #reopening #europe #reopeningeurope https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8F7R-AxXS/?igshid=1r11fnwlhf5y8

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Yesterday eve, Reopening Europe had an almost final but not final reflective conversation on a spectacular terrace overlooking the Napoli bay and the Vesuvius volcano. The exposure kind of gets off the hook towards the end but we thought it was quite nice to see us fade to blackness. At the end you can see the bay sunset reappear in all its evening glory. #reopening #europe #borders #reopeningeurope #naples #napoli

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RECAP DAY 16 (26 JUNE)

From Marigliano to Naples passing through Carinaro.

On our last day on the road, we met Luisa Benigno, the CEO of Sirio Calzature, who showed us her factory near Caserta, South Italy, where they make shoes for luxury brands. Covid stopped their production, as they were deemed to be a non-essential business, but they’ve survived and are pushing for the future. However, challenges they face now include the fact that suppliers want to be paid in advance.

Then we headed to Naples International Airport where we met Giuseppe Lettieri, General Manager of Atitech. Atitech is the biggest civil airplane repair company in Italy. Giuseppe gave us insights on the heavily hit airline industry, and the uncertainty of the sector, as the reopening of the borders has not meant a return to normality. Many companies are still waiting to know if they will survive, and survival might depend on state aid or nationalisation.

Finally, we arrived in Naples city centre, the last stop of our journey!