fabrizio coticchia | University of Genova (original) (raw)

Papers by fabrizio coticchia

After the Cold War, Italy started to act as an international peacekeeper, deploying troops in doz... more After the Cold War, Italy started to act as an international peacekeeper, deploying troops in dozens of military operations, mainly within multilateral frameworks. Recently, with the end of the "war on terror" and after the 2015 White Paper, Italy devoted growing interest and resources to the "Enlarged Mediterranean". Despite Italy's postbipolar military dynamism, limited attention has been paid to assessing missions. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as the debate about European Union defence and NATO, particularly after the Russian aggression on Ukraine, have emphasised again the need for a detailed analysis of Italian operations. This paper discusses the effectiveness of international interventions and the features and the trajectory of Italian missions. Three policy recommendations are advanced: the need to 1) create standard and systematic evaluations as events proceed; 2) establish transparent and inclusive assessments when interventions are completed; and 3) plan strategically for longterm proactivity rather than short-term reactivity.

In Italy, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Northern League (LN) formed a coalition government... more In Italy, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Northern League (LN) formed a coalition government after the legislative elections of March 2018. What has been the actual impact of the populist executive in the Italian foreign policy? Relying on the (few) existing analyses that have developed specific hypotheses on the expected international repercussions of populist parties-ruled governments, the paper examines Italy’s foreign policy under the Italian “Yellow–Green” cabinet (June 2018–August 2019). The manuscript advances three hypotheses. First, the foreign policy of the Conte’s government has been featured by a personalistic and a centralized decision-making process. Second, the Yellow-Green executive has adopted a vocal confrontational stance on the world stage, especially within multilateral frameworks, to “take back control” over national sovereignty. Third, such sovereignist foreign policy was largely symbolic because of “strategic” populist attitudes toward public opinion and due to domestic and international constraints. The manuscript—which is based on secondary and primary sources, such as interviews with former ministers, MPs, and diplomats—aims at offering a new perspective on populist parties and foreign policy, alimenting the rising debate on foreign policy change.

Do political parties keep their promises? The coherence between parties’ ideology and policy outp... more Do political parties keep their promises? The coherence between parties’ ideology and policy output have always attracted scholarly interest. Moreover, the importance of political parties’ accountability has dramatically increased also because of the rise of populist parties. This paper aims at contributing to the current debate by investigating different phases: the electoral manifestoes, the framing on issues in parliament, the votes, and the ways through which the manifestoes for the following elections change. What are the patterns parties can adopt to address a possible dissonance between electoral platforms, votes, and frames? Are there recurrent patterns of party behaviour between manifestoes, rhetoric, and policy outputs? To answer these research questions, the manuscript builds on a cross-country and cross-time (2007–2017) empirical analysis of three West European social democratic parties and their attitudes towards transnational issues, such as migration, terrorism, military operations and the financial crisis. The paper, which is based on content analysis of debates and manifestoes, identifies several patterns parties can follow for managing these crises. This paves the way for further variable-testing research.

A growing body of the International Relations (IR) literature has started to pay attention to the... more A growing body of the International Relations (IR) literature has started to pay attention to the concept of 'strategic narratives', stressing the role played by storylines in affecting public attitudes. However, the analytical differences among concepts like strategic narratives, master narratives, frames, framing, and master frames have been rarely investigated through a comprehensive approach. Very different definitions and perspectives have been adopted in the IR scholarly debate and beyond, while few studies have identified how ideologies underlie frames and narratives. The paper aims at filling such gap. The manuscript makes two claims. First, the process of plot formation, their strategic dimension, and the levels where narratives operate are the peculiar features allow distinguishing strategic narratives from all the other concepts. Second, only by unpacking-through an interdisciplinary perspective-the complex relation between ideology and narratives we could understand the proper conceptual boundaries in the narrative literature. In sum, there are four levels of discourse to consider: frame, strategic narrative, master narrative and ideology.

Italy represents an important case of defense policy change after the Cold War. While during the ... more Italy represents an important case of defense policy change after the Cold War. While during the bipolar era the country rarely intervened abroad and was deeply constrained in its defense policy by domestic as well as international factors, in the post-Cold War era, Italy has constantly intervened in major conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan. Yet, in the past decade, and especially after the 2011 Libyan intervention, Italian activism has consistently diminished. The purpose of this article is to describe this trend and to review theories that have been put forward to explain Italian activism (and retrenchment). While several insights can emerge from multiple studies dedicated to the topic, we argue that some elements such as legacies and institutional constraints have been somewhat overlooked and actually open promising avenues for research.

The role of political parties in foreign policy is gaining increasing attention. Nonetheless, des... more The role of political parties in foreign policy is gaining increasing attention. Nonetheless, despite an extraordinary interest in ‘populism’, the foreign policy of populist parties has rarely been investigated. This article provides an innovative theoretical framework, applying it on a rare example of a ‘pure’ populist party: Italy’s Five Star Movement. How has Five Star Movement positioned on Italian contribution to military operations abroad? What does such positioning say about its ideological leaning? In order to address such questions, the article analyses Five Star Movement’s MPs’ votes and speeches on foreign policy during its first term in Parliament (2013–2018). We find that, notwithstanding some ambiguities, the Movement’s stance has been mostly pacifist and humanitarian, resembling more a ‘left-libertarian populist party’ than a ‘sovereigntist far-right one’. Through these findings, the article contributes to the debate on populist parties and foreign policy in Europe, clarifying also the elusive ideological leaning of the Five Star Movement.

In January 2018, the Italian parliament approved a new military operation in Niger and an extensi... more In January 2018, the Italian parliament approved a new military operation in
Niger and an extension to the existing deployment in Libya. Italian leaders
explicitly cast this as a ‘pivot’ to Africa, a ‘relocation of troops’ from Afghanistan
and Iraq to the Sahel and Northern Africa. What factors underlie this strategic
shift? Despite the importance of this question, to date, little analysis of the
decision-making process underpinning the recent change has been forthcoming.
The article seeks to address this gap through an analysis of the parliamentary
debates on the missions. Specifically, it examines the ‘relative importance’
of the two threats/challenges motivating the interventions: irregular immigration
into the E.U. (and the related smuggling phenomena) and transnational
terrorism. The article contributes to the ongoing debate on the evolution of the
Italian foreign, security and defence policy in the broader Mediterranean, offering
insights for comparative analyses with other states engaged in those
contexts.

The article contributes to the growing debate on parliamentary war powers and shows how parliamen... more The article contributes to the growing debate on parliamentary war powers and shows how parliaments matter in shaping both force deployment and force employment. Through original analysis of the Italian and German decision-making on military interventions after the Cold War, the article illustrates how formal and informal constraints shape the opportunity structures faced by executives that are willing to undertake military interventions. Revisiting, and building on, the great deal of research recently emerged on institutional constraints to the use of force, the article details the types of costs – namely, transaction and audience costs – linked to involvement of legislatives in the decision-making and provides empirical support for theories based on parliamentary war powers, adding new dimensions of analysis.

Despite a growing number of studies on simulations and International Relations (IR), few analyses... more Despite a growing number of studies on simulations and International Relations (IR), few analyses investigate how participating in a simulation affects students’ perceptions of relevant IR issues. In addition, almost none of the current analyses on role playing and IR investigate how the involvement in a simulation affects students’ views on university enrolment or future career. This article seeks to fill these gaps, addressing how students’ interpretations and expectations change after participating in the Model United Nations (MUN). This article studies how the MUN is perceived as an experience that helps improve personal skills such as language ability, negotiation skills, and knowledge related to IR issues. This article also analyses how perceptions about selected IR issues and views on future university enrolment or future career vary before and after the MUN. The article is based on an original data set from a survey submitted to high school and university students participating to two MUNs held in Spring 2018. This article also employs ordinary least squares (OLS) multivariate regression analysis to test alternative hypotheses.

The literature has devoted considerable attention to the understanding of state institutions and ... more The literature has devoted considerable attention to the understanding of state institutions and rule of law in processes of democratization. However, despite the crucial relevance of dynamic and repeated interactions between actors and institutions in non-homogenous post-conflict societies, most research lacks systematic analyses on the role of parliaments, parties and party-systems after civil wars. While several studies have examined the effects of electoral systems or veto rights after power-sharing agreements, as well as the transformation of rebel groups into political parties in post-conflict societies, the development of parties within parliaments has been largely ignored. Therefore, by combining conflict studies, institutional design perspectives, and peacebuilding approaches, this paper presents a research agenda on the overlooked role played by parliament as a crucial arena for a better analysis, in the long term, of power-sharing mechanisms and state-building, postwar political framing and narratives, ethnic outbidding, and party modernization strategies.

Since the end of the bipolar era, the military activism of several Western powers has raised ques... more Since the end of the bipolar era, the military activism of several Western powers has raised
questions about parliamentary control, fostering growing research and analyses on the
features, drivers and consequences of the different kinds of oversight exercised by
legislative assemblies. Within this scholarly debate, this article focuses on the understudied
case of Italy. How did Italian parties vote on military operations abroad in the
post-Cold War era? In order to answer this question, the article presents the first detailed
and comprehensive set of data on parliamentary votes over the deployment of the Italian
armed forces in the post-Cold War era (i.e. from the beginning of the 1990s to the recent
operation against ISIL). Thanks to this extensive new empirical material, the article
assesses selected arguments developed by the literature on political parties and foreign
policy, paving the way for further research.

This research explores the relationship between public narratives and the Italian military contri... more This research explores the relationship between public narratives and the Italian military contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (2001–2014). Despite attracting little attention in the literature, Italy has been one of the most crucial contributors of multilateral military missions around the world in the post-bipolar era. Italy has remained consistently engaged militarily in Afghanistan over the entire period of the ISAF mission. However, the country’s involvement has been characterised by differing and controversial views and perspectives among Italian political actors and the media. This study aims to reconstruct the core features of the strategic narratives and the media frames around the military intervention and it does so through a Qualitative Content Analysis on a collection of almost 200 articles published by four main Italian national newspapers. The goal of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, we systematically retrace the main discursive patterns and frames employed by the newspapers on the ISAF. On the other, we evaluate whether in the case of military interventions, the Italian media unveil critical inconsistencies and competitive arguments or whether they function as a repeater of the dominant political discourse. Thanks to the case study, we find that the Italian media supported the mainstream narratives.

The article explores Italian Air Force (ITAF) officers’ perceptions of military transformation an... more The article explores Italian Air Force (ITAF) officers’ perceptions of military transformation and of changes in the global security environment. While several studies have addressed the challenges faced by European armed forces in the last two decades, the methods used have been rather uniform, mostly relying on in-depth case studies through qualitative interviews and analysis of strategic documents and budgets. Using data from an original, and unique, survey conducted among ITAF captains (N = 286), this article focuses on servicemen’s attitudes towards the transformations of the global security environment and the changes occurring (and needed) within the Italian Air Force. After describing the “military view” on these topics, the article provides preliminary statistical evidence on the links between individual experiences, views, and change. The research aims to contribute to the broader debate on military transformation by adding a novel dimension of analysis and providing new insights on the micro-level aspects of learning.

(Codice AI-SA-21), CENTRO ALTI STUDI PER LA DIFESA CENTRO MILITARE DI STUDI STRATEGICI

Unconventional learning activities such as games and simulations have been widely used as teachin... more Unconventional learning activities such as games and simulations have been widely used as teaching tools in international relations (IR) in the recent years. The literature on simulations and student learning has often highlighted a lack of empirical evidence in the existing research. The paper aims at providing empirical support to illustrate the ways in which simulations might influence students’ levels of (factual and self-evaluated) knowledge and perceptions of IR. The study is based on extensive empirical material, collected through questionnaires submitted to 298 students who participated in the 2014 edition of the National Model United Nations in New York (NMUN·NY).

The international context seems to be increasingly exposed to multidimensional and transnational ... more The international context seems to be increasingly exposed to multidimensional and transnational challenges, ranging from irregular migration and piracy to the violation of basic human rights. Rather than excluding a potential role for the military, many European states rely on it to face a complex security scenario. What are the reasons behind this activism? Taking Italy as a case study, this article works out two main arguments (ideational factors and interests relating to the so-called military-industrial complex) and tries to intercept their weight in the national debate leading to the decision to intervene militarily (or not) in Sri Lanka (2004( -05), Haiti (2010, and in the Central Mediterranean (2015-). Ultimately, this effort contributes to understanding the role of the military instrument in Italy, a state particularly exposed to the new challenges ahead, and offers tools for research to be potentially applied in other countries that make similar use of armed forces to deal with non-conventional security threats.

The literature on strategic narratives has started to pay growing attention to the concept of " n... more The literature on strategic narratives has started to pay growing attention to the concept of " narrative dominance " , stressing the role played by counter-narratives in hindering a wider acceptance of a specific message. However, limited consideration has been devoted to counter-narratives, which have seldom been assessed in a systematic way.. The paper aims at filling these gaps by examining the underrated case of Italy. The manuscript investigates the main content of narratives and counter-narratives developed by parties and peace movements regarding the decision to acquire the F-35. The paper, which is based on primary and secondary sources, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, combining security studies and social movement studies.

How does military change take place in states that are not able to develop autonomous solutions? ... more How does military change take place in states that are not able to develop autonomous solutions? How does transformation occur when limited resources are available? What are the ''sources of military change'' for armed forces that do not possess the (cognitive and material) resources that are essential for autonomous development? In articulating an answer to these questions, this article draws from the theoretical debate on interorganizational learning and looks at the mechanisms that drive ''learning from others.'' We argue that adaptation and organizational learning often had to look for, and then try and adapt, off-the-shelf solutions that required relatively more limited resources. Empirically, the article focuses on the Italian Armed Forces, which have rarely attracted scholarly attention, although it emerged from almost total lack of activity in the Cold War to extended deployments in the 2000s.

http://www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/la-nato-tra-varsavia-e-il-mediterraneo-15400

Recently, Italy has employed the military instrument abroad to deal with new, multidimensional an... more Recently, Italy has employed the military instrument abroad to deal with new, multidimensional and transnational challenges, ranging from irregular migration and piracy to the violation of basic human rights. What has pushed the country to intervene specifically through armed forces? Through three main arguments (strategic culture, domestic interests and international norms) emerging from the interplay between internal and external dynamics, the paper analyses the national debate in the run-up to the decision to intervene militarily in Darfur (2007–2010), Somalia (2009) and Haiti (2010). In so doing the work hopes to contribute to understanding the role of the military tool in Italy, a country particularly exposed to new challenges ahead.

(Codice AI-SA-21), CENTRO ALTI STUDI PER LA DIFESA CENTRO MILITARE DI STUDI STRATEGICI

http://www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/la-nato-tra-varsavia-e-il-mediterraneo-15400

Lexington , 2019

This book sets out to explain the foreign policy of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (Februar... more This book sets out to explain the foreign policy of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (February 2014 to December 2016). It offers a unique analytical framework to make sense of Renzi’s foreign policy: the domestically-focused outsider. It argues that to untangle Renzi’s foreign policy one must first understand that his clear priority was enacting domestic economic and political reforms. Domestic focus means that Renzi made foreign policy decisions with a sensitivity to public opinion and party unity. The book also argues that Renzi’s status as an outsider in Italian politics—having previously served only as the mayor of Florence—provides critical insight into his foreign policy. Renzi was prone to skepticism of the establishment and dramatic, symbolic gestures rather than patient coalition building. The book applies this framework to the five most important foreign policy issues Renzi’s government faced: migration, finance and the EU, Russia, ISIL, and Libya. The book’s analysis of the cases benefits from over twenty elite interviews, including those with senior members of Renzi’s government

European armed forces have undergone deep changes in the past two decades. Given the breadth of t... more European armed forces have undergone deep changes in the past two decades. Given the breadth of the debate and the size of transformations that took place, it is somewhat surprising that relatively few academic studies have directly dealt with changes in force structure of European militaries, and the Italian armed forces in particular. The focus of this book is the organizational dimension of the restructuring of armed forces through 3 different lenses: doctrine and strategic framework, budget and resource allocation, and force structure and deployment. The key issues addressed relate to how these factors interact in shaping transformation. Of particular interest is the theme of learning, which is how armed forces endogenize change in the short and long run. This study provides valuable insights into the extent to which armed forces manage to adapt to the emerging strategic and operational challenges they have to face and to illustrate the weight of institutional legacies, resource constraints and inter-organizational learning in shaping transformation. Focusing on the Italian case in comparative perspective and based on a large variety of military operations from airstrikes to peacekeeping and counterinsurgency, the book provides an innovative viewpoint on military transformation and significantly contributes to our understanding of contemporary security that is deeply shaped by the lessons learnt in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq and Libya.

Le pressanti necessità di riforma della politica di difesa italiana, in un contesto di grave cris... more Le pressanti necessità di riforma della politica di difesa italiana, in un contesto di grave crisi economica, hanno sollevato l'attenzione del dibattito pubblico attorno al processo di trasformazione dello strumento militare. Proprio in funzione di capire quali direzioni potrebbe prendere l'Italia nel prossimo futuro, appare necessario analizzare in dettaglio il passato, osservando criticamente il controverso percorso di evoluzione avvenuto dal termine della Guerra Fredda. Lo scopo del libro è rispondere alle seguenti domande di ricerca: quali sono i tratti distintivi della politica di difesa italiana dell'epoca post-bipolare? Quali i fattori ricorrenti che hanno segnato i numerosi interventi militari oltre confine? Dopo aver esaminato la recente letteratura ed i principali documenti strategici nazionali, lo studio confronta le caratteristiche di un "modello nazionale di intervento" con la realtà operativa e politica che ha accompagnato le principali missioni militari intraprese dal 1990 al 2011 (Iraq-Kuwait, Somalia, Balcani, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libano e Libia). Attraverso fonti secondarie e primarie (documenti ufficiali, analisi del discorso), la ricerca arriva così a delineare in maniera sistematica le costanti con le quali l'Italia ha affrontato crisi regionali, conflitti intra-statali o emergenze umanitarie, fornendo al contempo il quadro più aggiornato del dibattito nazionale relativo alla politica di difesa.

Peace support operations have become one of the most important tools in the foreign policy of Wes... more Peace support operations have become one of the most important tools in the foreign policy of Western democracies. This volume is a study of the military operations of a medium-size democracy (in this case Italy) in the last twenty years. The volume examines Italy's military operations through analysis of parliamentary debates and interviews with leading policymakers from the time of the various missions abroad. The book presents a profile of Italy's long-term foreign and defence policy by applying a constructivist approach. It analyses the political culture of the MPs and top decision-makers in foreign and defence policy and compares their cultural frameworks with conditions of actual military deployment in the field. It also includes a broad discussion of Italy's military doctrine since the end of the Cold War.

dimensione della sicurezza euro-atlantica è vitale per la difesa del Paese e la tutela degli inte... more dimensione della sicurezza euro-atlantica è vitale per la difesa del Paese e la tutela degli interessi nazionali. Solo l'Alleanza Atlantica può assicurare una sufficiente capacità di deterrenza e difesa del territorio euro-atlantico da un'eventuale minaccia di tipo militare convenzionale che, sebbene non sia al momento giudicata probabile, non è neppure escludibile».

This volume presents three claims regarding the role of middle powers in the 21st Century: first,... more This volume presents three claims regarding the role of middle powers in the 21st Century: first, states aspiring to become or remain middle powers choose from three possible role: to be a global middle powers; to be a regional pivot; or to be a niche leader. Second, states seeking such roles need different mixes of hard and soft power sources. Third, more so than great or small powers, middle powers walk a thin line between the domestic and systemic pressures they face. In this volume, these claims are based on (comparative) case studies of Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Turkey.

Ostermann, Falk, Florian Böller, Flemming J. Christiansen, Fabrizio Coticchia, Daan Fonck, Anna H... more Ostermann, Falk, Florian Böller, Flemming J. Christiansen, Fabrizio Coticchia, Daan Fonck, Anna Herranz-Surrallés, Juliet Kaarbo, Krystof Kucmas, Rasmus B. Pedersen, Tapio Raunio, Yf Reykers, Michal Smetana, Valerio Vignoli, and Wolfgang Wagner (forthcoming). “Voting on the Use of Armed Force: Challenges of Data Indexing, Classification, and the Value of a Comparative Agenda”. In Methods in defence studies. A pluridisciplinary handbook. Edited by Delphine Deschaux-Dutard. London and New York: Routledge.

The evolution of Italian defence policy in the post-Cold War era has received scarce attention in... more The evolution of Italian defence policy in the post-Cold War era has received scarce attention in the literature. Accordingly, also the debate about how International Relations (IR) theories explain (or interpret) the transformation of Italian defence has been extremely limited. Paradoxically, despite a significant transformation of Italian armed forces after 1989, defence issues are still “excluded” from the current debate. While few analyses have tested concurrent hypotheses derived from IR paradigms on Italian missions or on specific security events, a detailed inquiry on the overall theoretical debate and Italian defence policy is still lacking. This paper aims at filling this gap, providing an exhaustive review of the existing approaches that emerged in the literature on post-Cold War Italian defence and assessing their explanatory powers through selected cases (several types of military missions abroad, significant reforms, etc.). The paper illustrates also the main theoretical and methodological problems of the current debate (e.g., the underestimated role of Foreign Policy Analysis), highlighting the elements that deserve further attention.

The so-called ‘foreign fighters’ are the most controversial example of the increasing relevance o... more The so-called ‘foreign fighters’ are the most controversial example of the increasing relevance of transnational actors in global politics and contemporary warfare. The border between domestic and international security is becoming blurred due to the potential adverse impacts of these fighters, mainly in terms of consequences related to their experience on the ground (blowback effects, terrorist attacks, radical propaganda, etc.). Despite a mounting interest in this issue, scarce attention has been devoted to the mechanisms through which these foreign fighters are trained and, above all, the ways in which they spread military innovation and adapt across conflicts and crises. Looking at the case study of ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), this chapter will investigate the patterns of the military involvement on the battlefield of foreign fighters as well as their role in the process of elaboration and diffusion of approaches, tactics and lessons learnt.

in “Strategic Narratives, Public Opinion, and War. Winning domestic support for the Afghan war”, ... more in “Strategic Narratives, Public Opinion, and War. Winning domestic support for the Afghan war”, Beatrice de Graaf, George Dimitriu and Jens Ringsome (eds.), New York: Routledge, 2015, pp.219-240.

Since the end of the Cold War the Italian defence policy has been characterized by a deep transfo... more Since the end of the Cold War the Italian defence policy has been characterized by a deep transformation. Nowadays Italy is one of the countries mostly engaged in Peace Support Operations (PSO). Do Italian parties of the so-called “Second Republic” have developed a coherent and shared set of values to manage international crises? The image of “mission of peace” is generally viewed as the primary function of the national military instrument. Therefore the paper aims at understanding whether “peace” and “humanitarian intervention” are really the leading frames used by the main political parties in order to justify the deployment of troops in PSO.

We focus on five case studies that can well illustrate the evolution of the Italian defence policy in the new century: Albania (1997), Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003) and Lebanon (2006). Through the methodological instrument of content analysis we evaluate the rhetoric used by political parties in the parlia- mentary debate. Our research points out the leading frames of the main Italian parties in the last ten years in the field of foreign and defence policy.

Affari Internazionali, 2021

Alla fine del 2019 il Ministro della Difesa, Lorenzo Guerini aveva annunciato l'imminente approva... more Alla fine del 2019 il Ministro della Difesa, Lorenzo Guerini aveva annunciato l'imminente approvazione della delibera annuale riguardante le operazioni militari internazionali, confermando la presenza di truppe italiane nei principali teatri operativi. A gennaio, di fronte alle Commissioni Difesa di Senato e Camera, il Ministro ha ribadito tale impegno, evidenziando al contempo come la recente evoluzione dello scenario internazionale-dalla Libia all'Iraq, abbia influenzato il processo di 'costruzione' del decreto missioni. In attesa che si svolga finalmente la discussione in Parlamento, alla luce del processo di trasformazione della politica di difesa italiana negli ultimi decenni, ed in seguito ai cambiamenti avvenuti nel contesto internazionale e in quello nazionale negli ultimi mesi, possiamo delineare alcuni pattern ricorrenti nella modalità con la quale i partiti italiani hanno affrontato il tema delle operazioni internazionali.

La crescente instabilità a largo delle frontiere italiane ed europee e la minaccia posta dal terr... more La crescente instabilità a largo delle frontiere italiane ed europee e la minaccia posta dal terrorismo ha sollevato una rinnovata attenzione su temi della sicurezza internazionale. Da alcuni anni l'Osservatorio sui Conflitti del Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche (DISPO) dell'Università di Genova organizza cicli di incontri sull'evoluzione della sicurezza globale. Dal 2015 il DISPO ha organizzato anche quattro workshop internazionali (sostenuti dal consorzio NASP, dalla Compagnia San Paolo e dalla Scuola di Scienze Sociali di UniGe) focalizzati sul rapporto tra conflitti e istituzioni. Docenti provenienti da Yale, Uppsala, New York, SIPRI, Oxford, Cambridge, Amsterdam e altre prestigiose università hanno presentato le loro ricerche e ne hanno discusso i risultati con dottorandi, studenti e cittadini. Al tempo stesso la ricerca di giovani studiosi è stata analizzata da senior scholar. L'obiettivo generale è promuovere la cooperazione scientifica tra università italiane e straniere attraverso la realizzazione di attività di ricerca congiunta. L'obiettivo specifico è organizzare eventi aperti alla cittadinanza e gli studenti che vedano il coinvolgimento di esperti internazionali in materia, per presentare e discutere sul territorio temi della ricerca e per avviare un partenariato tra gli attori coinvolti. Dal 17 al 19 luglio 2019 si è tenuto il quarto workshop su "Conflitti e Istituzioni". Quest'anno il workshop (dal titolo "State of the Art? The Future of Peacekeeping Data") è stato organizzato in maniera congiunta con la Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).

How do countries adapt their overall defence policy to deal with mutating scenarios? In this pape... more How do countries adapt their overall defence policy to deal with mutating scenarios? In this paper, as part of a broader research agenda, we try to address these questions focusing specifically on the evolution of Italian ...

Intervista. EuropaAtlantiica

Workshop “Leadership e politica estera italiana da Berlusconi a Renzi” Saranno presentati i vol... more Workshop
“Leadership e politica estera italiana da Berlusconi a Renzi”
Saranno presentati i volumi: “Berlusconi the Diplomat: Populism and Foreign Policy in Italy”, di E.Diodato e F.Niglia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) e "Italian Foreign Policy under Matteo Renzi: A Domestically-Focused Outsider and the World", di F.Coticchia e J.Davidson (Lexington 2019)
Ne discutono gli autori: F.Coticchia (Università di Genova) E.Diodato (Università Stranieri Perugia) e F.Niglia (Università Stranieri Perugia). Modera: M.Morini (Università di Genova)
Giovedì 23 maggio 2019, 14-16. Aula 16, DISPO

L’Europa è alle prese con il “nazionalismo inglese” e il sovranismo xenofobo italiano. Da un lato... more L’Europa è alle prese con il “nazionalismo inglese” e il sovranismo xenofobo italiano. Da un lato la Brexit, dall’altro #lamanovradelpopolo appena bocciata dalla Commissione europea. Di fronte al rischio di dissoluzione dell’Unione, c’è un progetto che invece fa passi avanti: è quello franco-tedesco dell’esercito comune europeo. L’ha proposto due settimane fa il presidente francese Macron e qualche giorno dopo l’ha benedetto la cancelliera tedesca Merkel. Memos ne ha parlato con Fabrizio Coticchia, docente di scienza politica all’Università di Genova, studioso di politica internazionale e di problemi della difesa e della sicurezza.

22 Novembre 2018 ore 14:30 AULA SEMINARI 1 Via del Santo 28, Padova. Dipartimento di Scienze Pol... more 22 Novembre 2018 ore 14:30 AULA SEMINARI 1 Via del Santo 28, Padova. Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Giuridiche e Studi Internazionali

Emergenze umanitarie e tecnologie digitali: opportunità o lusso? 18 ottobre 2018 – 10.30 – 12.00 ... more Emergenze umanitarie e tecnologie digitali: opportunità o lusso? 18 ottobre 2018 – 10.30 – 12.00
Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche
Albergo dei Poveri, Piazzale Emanuele Brignole, 2 – Genova

Helpcode partecipa a DIGITALmeet, il primo festival del digitale italiano promosso da Fondazione Comunica e Talent Garden Padova.

Nei suoi interventi di emergenza umanitaria, Helpcode ha introdotto l’utilizzo delle tecnologie digitali e sistemi innovativi nell’ambito della cooperazione e sviluppo per migliorare l’efficienza, l’efficacia e l’impatto dei propri interventi.

Da qualche anno Helpcode utilizza tecnologie di cash-transfer con cripto valute e remote sensing per la gestione, il monitoraggio e il management da remoto in aree non accessibili agli operatori umanitari stranieri per motivi di sicurezza. Il controllo da remoto è inoltre possibile attraverso un’applicazione chiamata GINA per la geo-localizzazione dello staff e il reporting in tempo reale; l’utilizzo di immagini satellitari in aree non accessibili per monitorare distribuzioni e accessibilità delle zone d’intervento.

Come cambia il mondo della cooperazione internazionale e aiuto umanitario con l’avvento di nuove tecnologie? Quali sono le implicazioni positive, i rischi e le opportunità?

Ne parliamo insieme a:

Prof. Mauro Spotorno, Coordinatore del Corso di laurea magistrale in Scienze Internazionali e della Cooperazione, Università di Genova
Martina Venzo, Helpcode Program Manager: Nuove opportunità dal digitale negli interventi di Helpcode
Valeria Fabbroni, Helpcode Program Manager per la Libia: Emergenza umanitaria in Libia: esempi di nuove tecnologie applicate
Denise Soesilo: Consulente Tecnico. ‘Uso della Robotica in progetti umanitari e di sviluppo: un lusso’?
Prof. Fabrizio Coticchia, Università di Genova
L’evento è organizzato in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche dell’Università di Genova, che ospita l’evento. La partecipazione degli studenti al corso potrà dare dei crediti formativi.

L’accesso è libero e aperto a studenti, aziende, ricercatori, enti pubblici e personale di Associazioni e ONG.

Europa, prima gli armamenti e poi la democrazia. Firmato l’accordo tra ministri degli esteri e de... more Europa, prima gli armamenti e poi la democrazia. Firmato l’accordo tra ministri degli esteri e della difesa per avviare la cooperazione rafforzata sulla difesa militare comune. Sono 23 i paesi dell’Unione coinvolti (i non firmatari sono Danimarca, Portogallo, Irlanda, Malta e Gran Bretagna). L’accordo dovrà essere approvato dai leader di governo europei a dicembre. L’Europa che non riesce a rafforzare il processo democratico comune (l’unione politica) si avvia ad avere una difesa militare comune. Il paradosso francese, dal no di De Gaulle al sì Macron. Gli effetti sull’industria militare europea. I nuovi scenari della geopolitica continentale. A Memos ne hanno parlato Beda Romano, corrispondente del Sole 24 Ore da Bruxelles e Francesco Strazzari, docente di relazioni internazionali alla Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa. Sull’industria militare europea Fabrizio Coticchia, docente all’università di Genova: pace, conflitti, sicurezza internazionale sono le sue principali aree di studio.

12 Ottobre 2017, Trento - Centro per la Cooperazione Internazionale

April 6th, 2017 • Aula Meridiana, Università di Genova – Via Balbi 5, piano II

Luca Raineri Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Francesco Strazzari NUPI e Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna In... more Luca Raineri Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Francesco Strazzari NUPI e Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Introduce
Giampero Cama, DISPO, Università di Genova
Modera
Fabrizio Coticchia DISPO, Università di Genova

Il workshop ha l’obiettivo di esaminare l’arco di instabilità che caratterizza la sponda meridionale del Mediteranno, con particolare riferimento alla Libia e al Sahel. L’obiettivo sarà quello di illustrare la recente evoluzione dei conflitti locali, il ruolo di organizzazioni criminali e terroristiche, e la complessa relazione tra gli stati dell’area ed i paesi europei in rapporto ai temi della sicurezza. Il workshop cerca di esaminare in modo approfondito tali argomenti grazie alla vasta conoscenza in materia degli autori, i quali da anni svolgono ricerca sul campo.
L’incontro si svolge all’interno del ciclo di seminari “Guerra, Pace e Sicurezza alle porte del Mediterraneo” che si pone lo scopo di approfondire i temi relativi all’evoluzione della sicurezza internazionale attraverso una serie di workshop e convegni con accademici, politici, giornalisti, esperti e practitioner del settore. Tali eventi, direttamente collegati al corso “Guerre, Conflitti e Costruzione della Pace”, sono aperti a tutti gli studenti.

Il workshop ha l’obiettivo di esaminare l’evoluzione del rapporto tra ricerca scientifica, inform... more Il workshop ha l’obiettivo di esaminare l’evoluzione del rapporto tra ricerca scientifica, informazione e movimenti nell’ambito degli studi sulla pace e la sicurezza in Italia. Il recente rapporto di “Osservatorio Mil€x” sulle spese militari in Italia rappresenta una interessante occasione per affrontare i temi della difesa e della sicurezza dal punto di vista “empirico”. Appare sempre più opportuno, infatti, interrogarsi sullo stato della “peace research” in Italia, per comprenderne le cause del lento affermarsi nella penisola e le caratteristiche dei più recenti sviluppi.
Il workshop, attraverso il confronto tra prospettive diverse, cerca di rispondere a queste domande. L’incontro si svolge all’interno del ciclo di seminari “Guerra, Pace e Sicurezza alle porte del Mediterraneo” che si pone lo scopo di approfondire i temi relativi all’evoluzione della sicurezza internazionale attraverso una serie di workshop e convegni con accademici, politici, giornalisti, esperti e practitioner del settore. Tali eventi, direttamente collegati al corso “Guerre, Conflitti e Costruzione della Pace”, sono aperti a tutti gli studenti.

Il seminario analizzerà le relazioni tra l’attivismo dei partiti islamisti, l’insorgere di confl... more Il seminario analizzerà le relazioni tra l’attivismo dei partiti islamisti, l’insorgere di conflitti armati e lo sviluppo della democrazia con particolare riferimento al mondo arabo- islamico e all’Africa sub-sahariana.

Venerdì 16 Dicembre 2016, 14-16. Aula 16, DISPO, Albergo dei Poveri Il workshop ha l’obiettivo d... more Venerdì 16 Dicembre 2016, 14-16. Aula 16, DISPO, Albergo dei Poveri

Il workshop ha l’obiettivo di illustrare l’attuale processo di evoluzione della politica estera e difesa italiana. La crescente instabilità regionale e globale ha sollevato una rinnovata attenzione sui temi della politica internazionale. Che ruolo svolge l’Italia in tale contesto? Quali sono state le principali scelte compiute dal governo Renzi in materia di difesa e politica estera? Come valutare i risultati ottenuti? Il workshop, attraverso il confronto tra prospettive diverse, cerca di rispondere a queste domande.
L’incontro si svolge all’interno del ciclo di seminari “Guerra, Pace e Sicurezza alle porte del Mediterraneo” che si pone lo scopo di approfondire i temi relativi all’evoluzione della sicurezza internazionale attraverso una serie di incontri, workshop e convegni con accademici, politici, giornalisti, esperti e practitioner del settore. Tali eventi, direttamente collegati al corso “Guerre, Conflitti e Costruzione della Pace”, sono aperti a tutti gli studenti.

Department of Sociology and Social Research, via Verdi 26, Trento 11-12 November 2016, 9.00-18.0... more Department of Sociology and Social Research, via Verdi 26, Trento

11-12 November 2016, 9.00-18.00

Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Mali, the migrant crisis, terrorism and the euro crisis: these are just a few of the political and policy challenges that have dominated European politics going nearly on a decade. One of the elements that they share is that they have raised the question of the extent to which states in Europe and the European Union act strategically rather than being guided by normative principles and objectives. The aim of this conference is to ask whether realism remains a useful instrument to understand the contemporary international order and to explore whether it is a useful tool to understand recent behaviour by European actors.

Can states and political institutions prevent or limit domestic conflicts? What are the short or ... more Can states and political institutions prevent or limit domestic conflicts? What are the short or long term effects of civil wars and terrorism on domestic politics and institutions?
The rising instability along Italian and European borders has emphasized a renewed attention on these issues. Moreover, the ongoing refugees crisis urgently required us to deepen the scientific debate on contemporary conflicts and crises.
In particular, the current events and emergencies in the Mediterranean Middle East and North Africa region and East Europe show us the need of understanding how the domestic institutions can affect violent conflicts and, conversely, how, these conflicts can affect the domestic institutions.
Given all the above, “Conflicts & Institutions: Research, Projects and Workshops” aims at enhancing the scientific cooperation amongst Italian and European universities by the means of joined research projects focusing on Conflicts Studies. The main goal is to specify the links and the connections between the ongoing crisis and the current conflicts to study the relation between institutions and conflicts. At the same time, the Project “Conflicts & Institutions” aims at creating a network of scholars able to elaborate common research projects and proposals.

“Workshop - 70 anni della NATO - la dimensione navale”. Lunedì 15 aprile 2019. 15.00-19.00, Aula ... more “Workshop - 70 anni della NATO - la dimensione navale”. Lunedì 15 aprile 2019. 15.00-19.00, Aula Meridiana – Via Balbi 5, Università di Genova

Genova, 16 November 2017 University of Genova - Aula Mazzini, Via Balbi 5, 9-13

Workshop at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 5 and 6 October 2017

17th/18th October at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Tiergartenstraße 35, 10785 Berlin Panel 4 – M... more 17th/18th October at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Tiergartenstraße 35, 10785 Berlin

Panel 4 – Military Learning and Thinking
Moderation: Fregattenkapitän Dr. Christian Jentzsch
Dr. Tamir Libel; Barcelona Institute of International Studies (A conservative education in post-heroic society: The Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in the post-Cold War era.)
Dr. Fabrizio Coticchia; University of Genoa (Through military lenses. Security percep- tions and learning in the case of Italian armed forces)
Dr. Tom Dyson; University of London (Organisational Learning in the Bundeswehr dur- ing ISAF)Dr. Martin Rink; ZMSBw Potsdam (Zugänge zur Geschichte der Organisation der Bundeswehr nach 1990)

The dramatic events and emergencies in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa region sh... more The dramatic events and emergencies in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa region show us the need of understanding how the domestic institutions can influence violent conflicts and, conversely, how, these conflicts can affect the domestic institutions.
The University of Genoa organized last year the conference "Conflicts & Institutions: Research, Projects and Workshops" (Genoa, 16-17 June 2016).
In continuity with that event, and within the NASP framework, we have invited leading scholars in conflicts studies, democratization, peacebuilding and international security. The main goal is still to specify the links and the connections between the ongoing crisis and the current conflicts to examine the relation between institutions and conflicts. At the same time, the Project "Conflicts & Institutions" aims at creating a network of scholars able to elaborate common research projects and proposals.

Program (preliminary timetable)

● 21 June 2017
09.30 Workshop Registration
10.00 Workshop – Welcome address
10.30-11.30 Key-note speech (I)
» The Transformation of Civil Wars
Stathis Kalyvas (Yale University)
11.30-12.00 Coffee Break
12.00-13.00 Key-note speech (II)
» Accountability Avoidance and State Violence
Sabine Carey (University of Mannheim)
13.30-15.00 Lunch Buffet
15.00-17.00 Research Seminar on Conflicts&Institutions - NASP Young Investigator Training Program in Political Studies
Chairs and discussants
Giampiero Cama (University of Genoa)
Sabine Carey (University of Mannheim)
Stefano Costalli (University of Florence)
Fabrizio Coticchia (University of Genoa)
Chiara Ruffa (Swedish National Defense College)
Stathis Kalyvas (Yale University)
Francesco N. Moro (University of Bologna)
Andrea Ruggeri (Oxford University)
Other speakers TBC
17.00 Coffee Break - End of Workshop

Intervista rilasciata in occasione del convegno IAI "Quali Sviluppi per le Capacità NATO?", Roma,... more Intervista rilasciata in occasione del convegno IAI "Quali Sviluppi per le Capacità NATO?", Roma, 17 Novembre 2016.

the Parliamentary Deployment Votes Database (PDVD) collects and shares data on parliamentary vote... more the Parliamentary Deployment Votes Database (PDVD) collects and shares data on parliamentary votes on the deployment of armed forces.

PDVD serves a dual purpose: As scholars of political science, we are interested in an analysis of deployment votes. By sharing the data we collected, we hope to stimulate further analyses. As citizens of countries that have participated in military missions, we consider the publication of deployment votes to be a contribution to the democratic control of security and defense policy.

At the moment, in version 2 of the dataset, PDVP documents 514 votes in plenaries for the period between August 1990 and December 2017 in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. You can check out our data here.