Italy and the European Union : a rollercoaster journey / Bruno Mascitelli and Marco Brunazzo.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The formative years of Italian statehood and the turn of the 20th century -- From Cold War beginnings in 1946 to the Treaty of Rome -- From 1957 to the political turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s -- Crisis Italy, the Craxi period and the fall of the Berlin Wall -- The 1990s and political collapse, Maastricht and the Euro -- The return of Berlusconi and the onset of Euroscepticism, 2001-2011 -- Ongoing economic crisis, the end of Berlusconi and the Renzi phenomenon -- The Democratic Party and the rise of "populist" Euroscepticism.

"At the end of the Second World War in 1945, which brought on a new Italian State, Italy's Foreign policy was first and foremost that of re-joining the new order of western alliances and playing a role in the re-building of a new Europe different from that which had brought war and conflict. The book "Italy and the European Union: A Rollercoaster Journey" seeks to bring to English language readers the manner in which Italy directed, approached and implemented its vision toward the new Europe. New visions and proposals emerged through champions such as Altiero Spinelli, Alcide De Gasperi, Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet. It was meant to be a new European journey, which would seek to put war and conflict behind it. Being an original member of the Coal and Steel Authority established in the early 1950s, Italy sought to become a player in the direction of European integration. However, it did so with significant distractions and hurdles-at times as a bystander and at other times as a prominent player. The presence of Franco-German leadership was in the first instance a vision but for Italy at times contentious. Equally, Italy was afflicted by its internal distractions and priorities, which were at times a threat to its stability and to its political institutions. At times Italy made significant contributions to the direction of the European journey much of which under the constant eye of ideological tensions in country. It was the country with the largest Communist Party in Western Europe within a bi-polar Cold War arrangement, which remained a constant source of suspicion and concern. From being a Europhile member state in the 1990s to one where Euroscepticism appears regularly, Italy remains ambivalent about its relationship with the European Union depending on the political party in government. This book seeks to provide the story on how and why these changing perceptions of the European Union occurred and what possible avenues awaits this country on its rollercoaster journey with the European Union"-- Provided by publisher.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on March 25, 2020).

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