The Italians and Europe, Chronicle of Disenchantment

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.