Italy's Vote: A Historic Opportunity

By Marco Zambotti

Marco Zambotti is Adjunct Professor of European and Eurasian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His research focuses on the transformative power of the European Union, dynamics of Europeanization and European foreign policy.

Italians called to confirm or reject Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s constitutional reform on December 4 may be under the impression that they are participating in a plebiscite on the popularity of their young, bold, over-confident leader. To be sure, an unnecessarily heated, confused and ultimately misleading electoral campaign has spread that feeling. Arguably, however, the political fate of Renzi will not be sealed on December 4. The consequences of Italians rejecting his reform, on the other hand, may well prove dire for the country, and for the exceptionally fragile and disoriented EU of today.

Italians like to praise their constitution, a remarkable compromise document drafted by political forces that had been fighting on the same front – although not necessarily together – in the civil war that engulfed the country in the last phase of World War Two. There is little doubt, however, that the post-war institutional system – focusing first and foremost on preventing the emergence of a strong Executive – has aged considerably. Over the past few decades, moreover, it has undermined Italy’s capacity to effectively engage with its long-standing structural problems, and to play a more effective role on the European and international stage.

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Subscriber+

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:

Related Articles

How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More

Search

Close