Bar Italia - #1/2025
Ten Sips of Italian Politics
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Bar Italia!
After listening to your feedback on The Italian Compass, I decided to launch another newsletter, one that’s a bit more agile and generalist. Bar Italia is for those still interested in Italy and Italian politics but looking for a broader, less detailed overview than The Italian Compass.
The newsletter is named after the famous London Soho café where I used to watch Serie A matches in 2009/2010 while I was living in London studying for my Ph.D. at King’s College and working as a cook (basically, a tribute to where it all began). The concept is simple: the news in this newsletter is the kind of news you’d discuss in any Italian café while sipping your espresso. Each news item is “a sip”.
According to us Neapolitans, the perfect espresso should be enjoyed in three sips. But a newsletter with just three news items would be far too short. So, let’s assume you all drink as much coffee as I do: three espressos and a little extra to kickstart your morning. In “ten sips”, you’ll get a digest of the most relevant developments in Italian politics. Then, for those of you still interested in deeper, more granular analyses, The Italian Compass will continue to be published.
If you’d like to discuss any of the topics covered in this issue, feel free to reach out via email at info@politicaestera.net.
Happy Reading!
Dario
Bar Italia - #1
Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, warned that also Italy will be affected by tariffs starting in April, suggesting that European companies should instead consider relocating their production in America. As previously said, the Trump-Meloni special relationship will not shield Italy from Trump’s muscular mercantilism (see The Italian Compass #3).
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed extending NATO’s Article 5 to Ukraine without full membership, arguing that this would provide a more stable and effective long-term security guarantee for Kyiv than other existing proposals. She also reaffirmed her opposition to deploying Italian troops in Ukraine.
Speaking with Il Corriere della Sera, Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized the necessity of strengthening European defense, viewing current circumstances as a crucial opportunity for the EU to enhance its global standing while mantaining its collaborative security efforts with the U.S.
Transportation Minister Matteo Salvini criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing his reluctance to entrust “the future of his son” to France’s nuclear capabilities, while advocating for Europe to play a mediating role in fostering peace. Salvini said “Europe is the cradle of civilization, Europe must mediate, resolve and unite. I think Europe must be a bridge.”
Interviewed by Fabio Fazio at “Il Tempo Che Fa”, Giuseppe Conte, leader of the M5S (Movimento 5 Stelle/Five Star Movement), criticized Europe’s failure on Ukraine. Conte said that, while Russia was not isolated, Italy lost its potential role as a mediator and Europe’s failure left Ukraine reliant on external powers, such as the U.S., to protect its interests.
Meloni remains firm on advancing constitutional reforms despite a stark standoff with the Associazione Nazionale Magistrati (ANM - National Association of Magistrates), following a meeting that yielded no compromise on contentious judicial reforms and highlighted deep divides between the government and the judiciary.
The Lega party’s congress is scheduled for April 5-6 in Florence, coinciding with the Vinitaly wine fair, an event that Veneto’s governor, Luca Zaia, a vocal critic of Salvini, would not miss for anything in the world. This timing will inevitably heighten tensions with him. While Salvini is not expected to face any formal challengers on this occasion, his real opposition lies elsewhere (see The Italian Compass #6).
Leonardo and Baykar Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop unmanned aerial technologies, aiming to enhance technological cooperation between Italy and Turkey. Deepening ties with Turkey is becoming a trademark of Meloni’s foreign policy (see see The Italian Compass #2).
The ongoing leadership vacuum at RAI (Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A - Italy’s public broadcaster), due to partisan deadlock, is exacerbating the crisis in Italy’s audiovisual industry, prompting calls for the resignation of the two opposition board members to potentially break the stalemate.
The latest SWG electoral poll reveals that Fratelli d’Italia is maintaining its lead at 30.2% while the Partito Democratico (PD) has experienced a slight decline to 22.4%, amidst notable gains for the M5S and decreases for both Forza Italia and the Lega. The poll also highlighted growing uncertainty among voters, as 32% remain currently undecided.
See also…
Politica Estera - The Italian Compass - #6/2025
Mediterraneo Globale - La Settimana Mediterranea - 8/2025
Mediterraneo Globale - Marocco, Algeria e Stati Uniti: un equilibrio impossibile sotto Trump?
Politica Estera - Scriptorium Italiae #1/2025