Calossi E., Coticchia F. (2013) “The role of europarties in framing the European Union Foreign and Security Policy”, EUI RSCAS Working paper Series 2013/03. ISSN 1028-3625. (original) (raw)

“Unheard Voices: International Relations Theory and Italian Defence Policy”, in Belloni, R., Della Sala, V., and Viotti, Paul (Eds.), “Fear and Uncertainty in Europe. The Return to Realism?”, Palgrave (2019), 131-150.

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.

NL-2011-251_Defence policyin the Italian Republic: frames and issues.

La dimensión política en las relaciones Unión Europea-Argelia: Crisis y normalización VATICAN / VATICANO Antonio Alonso Libertad religiosa, camino para la paz UNISCI UNIDAD DE INVESTIGACIÓN SOBRE SEGURIDAD Y COOPERACIÓN INTERNACIONAL RESEARCH UNIT ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND COOPERATION Disponible on-line: Available on-line: www.ucm.es/ info/unisci (ISSN 1696(ISSN -2206 es una revista científica de acceso abierto, con sistema de evaluación por pares, sobre Relaciones Internacionales y Seguridad; ambas entendidas en sentido amplio y desde un enfoque multidimensional, abierto a diferentes perspectivas teóricas. La revista es publicada tres veces al año -enero, mayo y octubre-por la Unidad de Investigación sobre Seguridad y Cooperación Internacional (UNISCI) de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Todos los números están disponibles de forma gratuita en nuestra página web www.ucm.es/info/unisci. El Comité de Redacción acepta colaboraciones en forma de artículos o recensiones de libros. Pueden enviarnos sus propuestas según se indica en las -Instrucciones para autores‖ que figuran al final de este número, así como en nuestra página web. is an open access, peer-reviewed scientific journal on International Relations and Security; both understood in a broad sense and from a multidimensional approach, open to different theoretical perspectives.

Renew or reload? Continuity and change in Italian defence policy

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 defence policy as it evolved since 2001. The focus of the paper is on the evolution of national doctrine as it emerges from the analysis of strategic doctrine. What we look at here is the “process of translation” from the political to the military level, as embodied by key political strategic documents, and its evolution over time. To do so, the paper examines the Italian White Papers on Defence of 2002 and 2015 through qualitative and quantitative (content) analysis.

Europe of Defence in the New World (Dis)Order: Choices for Italy

Rome, IAI, November 2020, 17 p. (Documenti IAI ; 20|20), 2020

The 2016 EU Global Strategy delineated the level of ambition of the Union, but four years later the EU still struggles to reach this level in the defence domain. The paper investigates how the current EU initiatives such as Permanent Structured Cooperation and European Defence Fund could help defining and reaching such a concept, to eventually realise an appropriate level strategic autonomy. In light of the principle of the "single set of forces", as well as due to synergies and commonalities between EU and NATO, the paper also inquires whether the old vertical "division of labour" discussed in the early 2000s is still a valid approach, or if the EU quest for a wider and stronger strategic autonomy could ultimately bring to a geographical division of responsibilities. However, such an occurrence implies a strong political willingness and commitment towards EU defence, that is now further shaken by the impact of COVID-19 particularly on military budget and capability development. In such a context, Italy needs to clearly position itself in a post-Brexit EU at 27, where the different stances on the level of strategic autonomy and on transatlantic relations need to be balanced in renewed ways-also in light of the new role played by the European Commission. In the end, a new and more solid "centre of gravity" for EU defence in Europe could be established, should Rome manage to fully enter the Franco-German driver for strategic autonomy.

Stick to the plan? Culture, interests, multidimensional threats, and Italian defence policy

Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica

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 ...

National Visions of EU Defence Policy - Common Denominators and Misunderstandings. CEPS Paperbacks. December 2013

2013

The premise of this study is simple: before discussing what defence strategy the EU should adopt at Brussels-level, member states should clarify what they expect individually from the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Inspired by the confusion about EU defence policy in most European capitals, this authoritative study inverts the usual analytical approach applied to the debate on European strategy. Rather than initiating the enquiry from the perspective of common interests guiding CSDP, it analyses how seven prominent member states see CSDP as a tool to pursue their strictly national interests. Five researchers immersed themselves in the foreign policy worlds of Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm and Madrid, looking at CSDP through national lenses and away from the potentially distorting influence of ‘Brussels’ rhetoric.

The White Paper: A Strategy for Italy's Defence Policy

The 2015 White Paper on International Security and Defence, signed by the Minister of Defence, represents an important achievement for the Italian Armed Forces – and more in general for Italy’s international projection. This paper is divided into six chapters analysing the main aspects of the White Paper. The first chapter explains the importance of the document in the Italian context. The second one explores the key elements of the White Paper, which altogether constitute a reform of the military entailing radical changes. Chapter 3 focuses on a set of measures to reform the governance and internal organisation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), particularly concerning the joint level and the relationship between the political authority and the military. The fourth chapter provides an analysis of the novelties regarding industrial defence policy, with a focus on “sovereign” and “cooperative” technologies and the proposed partnerships between the MoD and the private sector. Chapter 5 analyses the European dimension of the White Paper from political, operational and industrial points of view, by discussing national interests in the perspective of a European integration. The final chapter focuses on what some would say is missing in the document, and what follow-up the White Book should have at the Italian and European levels.

How Italians View Their Defence? Active, Security-oriented, Cooperative and Cheap

Rome, IAI, June 2019, 5 p. (IAI Commentaries ; 19|39), 2019

Italians are generally well disposed towards their armed forces, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the prospect of enhanced defence cooperation within the EU. A recent survey, elaborated by the Political and Social Analysis Laboratory (LAPS) of the University of Siena and the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), provides interesting insights on Italian public opinion trends on security and defence matters, Rome’s alliance frameworks and foreign policy priorities.