The formation of a new coalition government in Germany was announced just days before the adoption of a new Franco-Italian cooperation treaty. With the post-Merkel government relying on compromise between three parties, it is possible that German foreign policy will be characterized more by consistency than by change. Following years of tension between Paris and Berlin over issues such as eurozone reform and the continental security architecture, this may prompt the Elysée to consider Rome as a key strategic partner, not only to direct Europe’s security focus more toward the south but also to make EU foreign policy more joined up. That said, France and Italy have only begun to mend fences in the wake of their diverging aims in the Mediterranean, and uncertainty remains given the impeding French presidential elections and persistent questions over the durability of Italian governments.
Will the France-Italy axis replace the Franco-German partnership at the heart of Europe’s integration process in the post-Merkel era? How much can the EU’s triumvirate collectively steer the EU’s foreign policy over the years ahead? And what needs to happen at the member state level for the EU to develop a foreign policy that is more effective and joined up in an increasingly multipolar world?
This event is organized alongside the JOINT Horizon 2020 project, coordinated by the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome.
More speakers to be confirmed.
