Molto agitato - Italy and Mediterranean security

As one of the founding members of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Italy plays a crucial role as a security actor both within Europe and on a global level. Given its geo-strategic position as a bridge between Europe and the broader Mediterranean region, Italy is particularly affected by the challenges and threats the wider region faces.

With this in mind, Friends of Europe is releasing a study on Italy and the future of European defence. Authored by Paul Taylor, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe and POLITICO columnist, it examines growing security challenges in the Mediterranean region and Italy’s central role in influencing Europe’s response.

It will also examine the broad array of present and future threats, driven by long-term trends of climate change, demography and state fragility, and fueled by great power rivalry, resource conflicts, radicalisation and jihadist terrorism, and smuggling of people, arms and drugs. This will be complemented by recommendations to optimise Italy’s defence policy so as to best assure its own long-term security interests and those of Europe.

This study was launched both in Brussels and Rome.

The study complements four similar studies on France, Germany Poland and the United Kingdom’s roles in European security and defence:

Crunch time – France and the future of European defence
Jumping over its shadow – Germany and the future of European defence
Fort Trump or bust – Poland and the future of European defence
Safer together – The United Kingdom and the future of European defence