RETHINKING ITALY'S SHRINKING PLACE IN THE INTERNATIONAL AREA
Italy’s foreign policy is still shackled by two features inherited from its modern history: an obsessive focus on rank and prestige, and a no less delusional faith in the redemptive character of the EU and other multilateral arrangements it belongs to. The ‘middle power’ foreign policy model elaborated in the 1980s had a rationale of its own but it can hardly be adapted to the globalised world, nor can it be sustained by a deteriorated economic and societal domestic fabric. Italy has to rethink its basic national interests, adapt its foreign policy tools to new concepts of relevance and influence, and focus on a long-term, concerted effort at domestic regeneration if it is to withstand the challenges of the globalised world we live in.
Authors: Federico Romero - IAI News, April 2016
For more information...
THE OCSE'S CONTRIBUTION TO ENERGY GOVERNANCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION
Energy governance is at the core of the dialogue between Europe and the Mediterranean region to foster the creation of a shared area of peace, prosperity and stability. Against this backdrop, this report dwells on the potential role of the OSCE in hammering out policies and initiatives targeting energy governance in the Mediterranean beyond the purely economic dimension. It discusses the manifold political, security and environmental challenges and opportunities linked to the use of energy resources, in particular those located in contested areas. It also elaborates on the Organisation’s potential role in preventing disruptions to critical energy infrastructure and in providing assistance and transferring best practices with a view to strengthening the efforts of Mediterranean countries in their transition toward a more sustainable and efficient energy sector.
Editors: Silvia Colombo Nicolò Sartori - IAI News, Rome, April 2016
For more information...
