We participated in Limes Festival in Genoa as The US-Italy Global Affairs Forum and as members of Limes Club Washington. In the 2019 the focus of the Festival was on how relevant is becoming Italy from a Geopolitical point of view. We posed three questions to Dr. Lucio Caracciolo, founder and Director of Limes.
Italy is now ruled by a coalition defined as populist. Is this government isolating Italy on the international arena?
In fact Italy was already quite isolated on the international arena even before, but certainly the present government did not improve our influence worldwide.
What makes the difference between this and other Italian governments is the positive attitude towards China. Italy signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding with China regarding the Belt and Road Initiative and 29 agreements in specific economic and cultural areas.
How much relevant is Italy from an European point of view? And from a Mediterranean point of view?
Italy is relevant primarily because of its economic size. If our State goes bankrupt, the whole Eurozone would precipitate in a serious crisis. Our logistical and strategic value as a Mediterranean peninsula is very relevant, especially for our American allies.
In an age of transformation of Transatlantic alliance how much can Italy do to maintain its important role as a regional power ?
We should make it clear to ourselves and to our allies what our national interests are, namely above all our (challenged) national unity, our role in Europe and in Nato, and our participation in the stabilization of our near abroad, especially as far as the Balkans and North Afrieca are concerned..
Download the pdf of Agenda America Extra_15th May 2019
