La bussola atlantica nel Pacifico : pressioni statunitensi e politica estera italiana verso la Cina
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Journal of contemporary European studies, 2025, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 237-266
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NATALIZIA, Gabriele, TERMINE, Lorenzo, La bussola atlantica nel Pacifico : pressioni statunitensi e politica estera italiana verso la Cina, Journal of contemporary European studies, 2025, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 237-266 - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/94151
Abstract
Although recent years have seen a growing interest in Italy’s foreign and security policy, the existing scholarship still tends to overlook the impact of external pressures – particularly those exerted by the United States – on processes of foreign policy change. This article, through a combination of theoretical reflection and empirical analysis, aims to fill this gap. A review of the literature shows that U.S. influence represents a crucial yet under-examined explanatory variable in Italy’s international behaviour. This shortcoming becomes evident in the reorientation of relations with China after 2019 and in the gradual expansion of Italy’s security footprint in the Indo-Pacific between 2021 and 2025, in parallel with other European powers. The empirical evidence unequivocally indicates that pressure from Washington constitutes a determining factor in driving political change. The cases analysed outline a model of alignment that cannot be fully understood by relying solely on domestic variables but requires the inclusion of external constraints. By emphasising the weight of international pressures, the article reframes the understanding of allied dynamics as instruments for managing secondary states and shows how systemic constraints shape the choices of minor powers. The Italian case, finally, highlights the need to develop middle-range theories capable of integrating structural variables and accounting for the interaction between international incentives and domestic adjustments.
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Published online: November 2025