Five prominent thinkers from five EU countries offer personal reflections on the idea of Europe at this critical moment in its history.

Today, writer and journalist Beppe Severgnini contemplates the view from Italy.

Producers: Justine Willett and Emma Harding

BEPPE SEVERGNINI has been writing for the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" since 1995 and has just published "La pancia degli italiani. Berlusconi spiegato ai posteri" (Rizzoli 2010, Berlusconi Explained to Posterity and Friends Abroad). Since 1998 he has been moderating the online forum "Italians" (www.corriere.it/italians), the subject of his book "Italians. Il giro del mondo in 80 pizze" (Rizzoli 2008). He has written for "The Economist" (1993-2003) and for the New York Times Syndicate (2007-2009). In 2004, Beppe Severgnini was voted "European Journalist of the Year" in Brussels. Show less