In recent years, Italy has reasserted itself as a significant power player on the international stage, revitalizing its foreign policy with renewed coherence and strategic clarity. In a European landscape profoundly reshaped by Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and within a global system increasingly fragmented by great-power rivalry, Rome has managed to strengthen its visibility, credibility, and influence, often stepping in where other European actors have left strategic vacuums.

The leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has delivered government stability that has been crucial to reinforcing Italy’s reputation as a reliable partner, particularly at a moment of uncertainty across some of Europe’s major capitals. Over the past three years, the Meloni government has upheld the traditional foundations of Italy’s security and economic prosperity, recognizing the United States as its principal security guarantor through NATO, alongside European integration and the single market, and the stability of a rules-based multilateral order. 

Italy’s renewed standing rests on three core pillars: courageous and consistent foreign policy choices, a leading role in emerging strategic corridors, and strengthened domestic political and economic stability. Taken together, these factors have positioned Italy as an increasingly central voice in both European and international debates. 

Italy’s foreign policy under Meloni reflects a shift toward a more realist, security-centered approach shaped by the strategic shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rome has firmly and consistently supported Kyiv and adopted an unambiguous stance condemning Moscow’s aggression, aligning itself clearly with the defense of international law, even at the risk of potential domestic political costs and the reassessment of long-standing strategic assumptions. 

At the same time, the Italian government has recalibrated its relationship with China, diplomatically distancing itself from the Belt and Road Initiative while prioritizing supply-chain security, resilience, and strategic connectivity, without undermining economic ties between the two........

© The National Interest