Italy’s Foreign Policy in 2023: Challenges and Perspectives

This document provides an English summary of the 2023 edition of IAI’s annual report on Italian foreign policy entitled “Il governo Meloni alla prova”, developed within the strategic partnership with the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo. The 2023 edition of the report features the contributions of a group of IAI researchers coordinated by the Italian Foreign Policy programme of the Institute. The report covers all the core areas of Italian foreign policy, from the relationship with the European Union and European allies to Italy’s role within NATO and the country’s policy towards its neighbourhood in the “enlarged Mediterranean”. Other key issues include the relationship of the Italian government with the US and the People’s Republic of China, the government’s policy vis-à-vis the energy and climate crises, Italy’s migration policy, the country’s continued commitment to supporting Ukraine and subsequent developments in the Italian defence policy and its future posture. From this perspective, an in-depth focus is devoted to the aerospace industry, also as an area for international cooperation. Finally, specific attention is paid to the multilateral initiatives of the country in the year that led to Italy’s G7 presidency of 2024, which includes priorities such as AI governance, development aid and the so-called “Mattei Plan for Africa”.