Knowledge Tree
Italy
Facts (31)
Sources
Independence play: Europe's pursuit of strategic autonomy ecfr.eu Jul 18, 2019 14 facts
perspectiveItaly believes that cooperation between the European Union and NATO should focus on new forms of warfare, particularly those involving cyber threats.
perspectiveItaly believes that Europe should increase its involvement in neighboring regions and sub-Saharan Africa.
perspectiveItaly is strongly committed to the transatlantic alliance and does not view European strategic autonomy efforts as a form of emancipation from United States hegemony.
measurementSeventeen European Union member states, including France, Germany, and Italy, regard European strategic autonomy (ESA) as an important or somewhat important goal.
referenceItaly's 2015 white paper on defence and 2018 plurennial document on defence state that European strategic autonomy is complementary to NATO, which should act with the European Union to reinforce Europe’s role as a security provider.
perspectiveItaly holds that European strategic autonomy efforts are the best response to United States calls for Europe to take up a greater share of the defence burden.
claimItalian policymakers prioritize pursuing European strategic autonomy through investment in information and decision-making autonomy, as well as autonomy of action.
perspectiveSlovakia, along with Bulgaria, France, Italy, and Slovenia, considers United States concerns regarding European strategic autonomy (ESA) initiatives to be strange, arguing that these initiatives address Washington's demands for Europe to contribute more to the defense burden.
perspectiveItaly's concept of European strategic autonomy is limited to the complementarity between national and European priorities.
perspectiveMost Italian experts believe that Italy has a limited leadership role in European strategic autonomy, while France and Germany hold crucial roles.
accountItaly's engagement with European strategic autonomy efforts began in 2016 when it contributed to the launch of the EU Global Strategy.
perspectiveItaly would support the development of a European system for collective defence, provided it does not compromise its NATO commitments.
claimItaly has merged its national guidelines on foreign policy and defence with its commitments to implement Permanent Structured Cooperation and the European Defence Fund.
referenceItaly's 2015 white paper on defence defines two dimensions of defence capabilities: sovereign competencies for national security protection, and collaborative competencies implemented through cooperation at the European level.
Quest for Strategic Autonomy? Europe Grapples with the US - China ... realinstitutoelcano.org Jun 26, 2025 10 facts
referenceItaly issued a policy document titled 'The Italian Contribution to the European Strategy for the Indo-Pacific' in 2022, which frames its engagement within the broader European Union context.
claimLithuania, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy have adopted national dual-use control lists that extend beyond the scope of the European Union Dual-Use Regulation.
claimAustria, France, Denmark, Lithuania, Spain, and Italy support strengthening dual-use export control frameworks within the European Union.
accountItaly formally disengaged from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expired in December 2023.
claimHungary and Italy are the only countries where support for European strategic autonomy is decreasing, a trend linked to the strong rapport that Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán are cultivating with Donald Trump.
measurementBetween 2018 and 2023, Germany led European countries in absolute export value to the United States at USD 171.65 billion, followed by Italy at USD 72.7 billion and the United Kingdom at USD 71.9 billion.
measurementOnly six countries—Slovakia, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Italy—registered an increase in the share of their exports to China between 2018 and 2023.
claimItaly and Spain engage in security dialogues and joint naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific to increase visibility and support their domestic defense industries.
claimThe Italian governments led by Mario Draghi and Giorgia Meloni have maintained strong ties with Washington and are wary of straining transatlantic relations by endorsing a strategic autonomy agenda.
perspectiveSpain and Italy feel represented by the European Union’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Strategic Rivalry between United States and China swp-berlin.org 2 facts
claimIn March 2019, Italy became the first G7 state to sign on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the New Silk Road.
claimBy signing the Belt and Road Initiative independently, Italy subverted the desire of other European Union member states to negotiate participation in the initiative as a unified European bloc.
The Strategic Dilemmas : Iranian Politics, the U.S. strategy ... hornreview.org Mar 16, 2026 1 fact
accountFrance and Italy have engaged in diplomatic moves to negotiate with Iran regarding safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns about the economic consequences of the conflict.
The Expanding Iran War - ISPI ispionline.it 1 fact
claimItaly has pledged to support its Gulf partners with air defence capabilities, following similar military deployments by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
The EU's Open Strategic Autonomy and the challenge of ... globalpolicyjournal.com Aug 27, 2025 1 fact
claimFragmentation patterns in the European Union regarding Chinese high-tech foreign direct investment exist between technologically advanced states like France, Germany, and Italy, which seek to reduce such investment, and laggard states like Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal, which benefit from Chinese investment inflows in mature sectors.
The EU between strategic autonomy and the transatlantic relationship esisc.org 1 fact
claimGermany, Italy, and France prioritize security concerns in the South, with France and Italy specifically focusing on the Sahel region of Africa.
Consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War and the Changing Face ... rand.org May 22, 2025 1 fact
referenceMeredith Reid Sarkees and Frank Wayman documented a list of historical conflicts and their major participants in their 2010 book 'Resort to War: 1816–2007', including the Crimean War (1853–1856, France/Great Britain/Ottoman Empire/Russia), the Lopez War (1864–1870, Argentina/Brazil/Paraguay/Uruguay), the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878, Russia/Ottoman Empire), the Boer War (1899–1902, Great Britain/Boers), the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905, Japan/Russia), the Russo-Polish War (1919–1921, Poland/Soviet Union), the Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–1936, Ethiopia/Italy), the Korean War (1950–1953, United States/North Korea/China/South Korea), the Vietnam War (1965–1975, United States/South Vietnam/North Vietnam), the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979–1987, Vietnam/China), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989, Soviet Union/Afghanistan), and the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988, Iran/Iraq).