The Italians and Europe, Chronicle of Disenchantment

Policy paper 217

As is the case for any elections in a country of the European Union, the general elections (MPs and senators) that will be taking place on the 4th of March in Italt are of interest to all those who are paying close attention to Europe and its future, all the more so in this case as the country in question is the 3rd strongest economy of the Twenty Seven?

| 16/02/2018

| Democracy and citizenship

But in these specific elections, the stakes are even higher, as the consequences of the election do not just concern Italy. Europe is indeed directly affected by these elections, of which it is the main issue. The economic and budgetary policy crisis, the migrant crisis and claims for sovereignty are all issues causing unrest in Italy, with consequences at the European level, and which directly and explicitly address the relationship between the country and the EU. In this context, the March elections shall also determine the direction Italy will take in the next few years, years which shall prove pivotal for the European project.

In this Policy Paper, Daniel Debomy, associate research fellow at the Jacques Delors Institute, and Emmanuel Rivière and Arno Husson, from the Center Kantar sur le Futur de l’Europe, analyse the public opinions on Europe in Italy, and explain why Italy is now one of the countries in which the attitude towards Europe has deteriorated the most.

This Policy Paper is also available in Italian.