But, overall, Tommaso was a European, a militant of the European Union’s historical endeavour. And although it is with a heavy heart, it is inspiring to speak on a subject that was so dear to him and so central to his life’s work.
Let me also remind us that I am in the purdah period, and nothing I will say can be interpreted in terms of future monetary policy. We all know that the Chinese leader Zhou Enlai, when asked in 1971 about the impact of the French revolution, famously replied that it was “too early to tell”.