Italy's foreign policy in the twenty-first century : the new assertiveness of an aspiring middle power / edited by Giampiero Giacomello and Bertjan Verbeek.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Giacomello, Giampiero, 1959-

Verbeek, Bertjan, 1960-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International relations.

Italy--Foreign relations--21st century.

Italy.

Middle powers.

Physical Description:

xvii, 233 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Lexington Books, [2011]

Summary:

Italy's Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century: The New Assertiveness of an Aspiring Middle Power, edited by Giampiero Giacomello and Bertjan Verbeek, shows how changes in Italy's international and domestic environment since the early 1990s have affected Italy's foreign policy and raised its aspiration to become, and be treated as, a middle power. The contributors theoretically engage with both rationalist and constructivist accounts of middle-power. The contributors theoretical engage with both rationalist and constructivist accounts of middle-power behavior. They reveal that the end of the Cold War, the advent of globalization, and the rise in institutionalized regional cooperation have increased Italy's freedom to maneuver. At the same time, however, these changes have decreased Italy's policy freedom as a result of delegation of policy competencies to the European Union and the need for cooperation in a globalized world.

Domestic changes, notably the transition from the First to the Second Republic and the transformation of political leadership under Prime Minister Silivio Berlusconi, have altered the way domestic politics is played out in foreign policy. Rather than adopting the more common focus on Italy's bilateral relations with other counties or regions, this collection centers on actors, issues and policy instruments in vital areas of Italy's foreign policy. In addition, it discusses the search for Italy's position in global affairs and emphasized the importance of leadership styles, domestic political agendas, and party rhetoric in determining Italy's foreign policy. As Giacomello and Verbeek's volume demonstrates, consistency with such strategic prescription has always been a problematic undertaking for various Italian governments. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I. Changes in Italy's domestic and international environment

Part II. Italy's foreign policy in an era of new security.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780739148686

0739148680

9780739148709

0739148702

OCLC:

747819348