Chapter 852: The Iberian-Apennine Summit (Part 1)
The Count of Floridablanca was struck with immediate shock, his voice trembling slightly.
"Are you... are you suggesting we act against the Holy See?"
He did not even dare to utter the final word.
To someone like him, raised since childhood under the heavy influence of the Church, merely reducing the Papacy's control over Spain was already a monumental ambition. He had never imagined that the French Crown Prince would be so bold.
This was bordering on blasphemy, an outrageous sacrilege...
Joseph patted his shoulder to offer some comfort. "Do not be nervous. I am not going to 'do' anything to the Holy See. I simply wish to restore it to its original form."
"Its original form?"
"Precisely," Joseph nodded. "The Holy See should be God's representative on earth, dedicated solely to serving the Lord, rather than wasting its energy on managing taxes, bureaucracies, and territories like a secular monarch.
"As you know, the Holy See originally held no lands; even the city of Rome was never meant to be their property.
"However, secular desires have corrupted those priests who were not pure of heart. They have greedily occupied vast territories—Lazio, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, and more—and stretched their hands for power into every nation in Europe."
He took a deep breath. "Therefore, the form the Holy See was always meant to take is to remain within the Vatican, serving God with a sincere heart."
The Count of Floridablanca did not dare to respond, but he quickly envisioned the scenario the French Crown Prince had described in his mind. Without the Papal States as a foundation, a Holy See retreated back into the Vatican would indeed be unable to interfere with the Spanish Church. When that time came, His Majesty would only need a single edict to completely finalize the church reforms.
'Actually, let the Holy See return to Avignon,' Joseph thought, keeping his final plan to himself. 'There is no need to even leave them the Vatican.'
Then, France could treat the Pope just as Philip IV had—knocking him into line whenever necessary, or even using the Papacy as a puppet to command the other nations.
Joseph glanced at the Spanish Chief Minister, who was breaking out in a cold sweat, and smiled.
"You see, as I said, this is a gift I intend to give to Spain, so you do not need to do anything."
He gestured with his chin toward the representatives of the Italian states outside the hall.
"They are the ones who truly hope the Holy See will focus single-mindedly on serving God. Spain only needs to remain silent at the appropriate moment."
He made it sound simple, but for Spain to suppress its domestic ecclesiastical factions and refrain from aiding the Roman Curia was already a significant feat.
Joseph's words today were intended to allow Carlos IV to begin making preparations well in advance.
Two days later, in this very hall, the Iberian-Apennine Summit officially commenced.
The name of the summit did not explicitly mention France, but the underlying meaning was clear: the Iberian Peninsula to the west and the Apennine Peninsula to the east were to be linked by France, rotating in sync with France as the central axis.
Following a series of tedious diplomatic ceremonies, the representatives of various nations took their seats around an oval conference table. Joseph, sitting at the head of the table, began the formal proceedings.
"Today, all the nations gathered here are connected by a deep and profound friendship.
"And how do we make this friendship function at its highest capacity to bring us the greatest returns?
"I believe you all already have the answer.
"And that is—a great, vast common market!"
He opened his arms, his voice rising with passion. "Combined, we represent eight nations and nearly 50 million people! We face the Atlantic to the west, touch West Africa to the south, and surround the Mediterranean Sea.
"Furthermore, there is not a single poor nation among us; everyone here possesses ample purchasing power.
"We shall establish an internal tariff mechanism to keep foreign goods out of our common market.
"Within such a massive market, any commodity produced by any of you will easily find a buyer. No matter the quantity of goods, they will be absorbed by the market.
"And every nation here will have full access to this giant market!"
The eyes of the representatives from Spain, Sardinia, Genoa, and others immediately lit up. Why did European nations fight so desperately for overseas colonies? Primarily for colonial markets!
If they could construct a massive market spanning the Mediterranean, why would they need colonies?
What overseas colony could be wealthier or have stronger purchasing power than a European nation?
This was an opportunity they hadn't dared to dream of!
However, Prince Ludovico of Parma stood up cautiously, looking at Joseph with a hint of tension.
"Your Royal Highness, as you say, a massive market will bring us rich returns. But as you know, without tariff protection, many of my country's workshops will collapse. Even... the cheap wheat from North Africa could cause our farmers to go bankrupt."
Joseph nodded understandingly. "I think you may have misunderstood. I am not suggesting that all member states of the common market abolish all tariffs. Every nation can propose industries that require protection at any time, and tariff rates can be set under the coordination of the Market Arbitration Committee.
"We only need to ensure that a unified high tariff is maintained against countries outside the common market."
The Iberian-Apennine Common Market was entirely different from the Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement.
The latter was primarily composed of states in the German region where Austria held the most influence, so France's goal there was simply to profit as much as possible.
The former, however, was led by France and belonged to its own "backyard." Therefore, France had to consider sustainable development and ensure the member states did not harbor resentment.
To this end, Joseph had essentially copied the model of the later WTO.
Tariffs could be negotiated, and nations could appeal to adjust rates if necessary.
Trade disputes would be resolved by an arbitration body, ensuring as much as possible that no nation suffered from a severe trade imbalance.
Only then did Ludovico breathe a sigh of relief and slowly sit back down.
Joseph gestured to the documents already placed beside everyone. "These are the rules and clauses of the common market. You may take a look.
"I will highlight a few of the more important ones: The Principle of Member Equality. For instance, any preferential terms granted to one member state will automatically extend to all members.
"The Principle of Regulatory Consistency. Imported goods will be treated identically to domestic goods in terms of taxes and regulations...
"The Principle of Fair Competition. Malicious dumping of goods is prohibited, as are slander, deception, and other unfair competitive practices...
"Unified Patent Principles...
"Specific Protection Principles...
"And most crucially, the Dispute Arbitration Body.
"All member states will elect members to the Arbitration Committee to handle trade disputes and other conflicts. No nation may engage in trade retaliation through means outside of this arbitration..."
The representatives in the hall were stunned, their mouths hanging open in surprise.
When had they ever seen a trade system so scientific, so detailed, and so regulated? Every line of these clauses radiated a sense of fairness and justice, providing them with a profound sense of security.
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