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To lead or to participate? Italy and the European Union's maritime security operations, 2008–2024.

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Titel: To lead or to participate? Italy and the European Union's maritime security operations, 2008–2024.
Autoren: Parente, Giovanni
Quelle: Contemporary Italian Politics; Dec2025, Vol. 17 Issue 4, p536-554, 19p
Schlagwörter: NATIONAL security, NAVAL warfare, SEA control, HISTORY of the Mediterranean Region, ITALIAN history, EUROPEAN integration, INTERNATIONAL security, MARITIME safety
Geografische Kategorien: MEDITERRANEAN Sea, ITALY, SOUTHERN Europe
Firma/Körperschaft: EUROPEAN Union
Abstract: This article examines Italy's involvement in the European Union's maritime security operations between 2008 and 2024, addressing how and why its naval forces transitioned from passive participation to assertive leadership. Triggered by the Arab Spring, Italy recalibrated its strategy, launching unilateral initiatives like Operation Mare Nostrum (2013) and leading EU missions (Sophia, Irini, Aspides). Employing Gilpin's theory of systemic change, the article demonstrates how Italy filled security vacuums in the Mediterranean amid Northern European disengagement, blending realist interests with multilateral legitimacy. Domestically, bureaucratic entrepreneurship, notably the Navy, and populist constraints shaped mission designs, revealing tensions between humanitarian rhetoric and security imperatives. By hosting three EU operations and operationally commanding Aspides in the Red Sea, Italy has emerged as a pivotal maritime actor in Southern Europe, challenging Franco-German leadership in the CSDP. This study contributes to understanding the growing role of Italy in European maritime security, a woefully underexplored field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Datenbank: Complementary Index
Beschreibung
Abstract:This article examines Italy's involvement in the European Union's maritime security operations between 2008 and 2024, addressing how and why its naval forces transitioned from passive participation to assertive leadership. Triggered by the Arab Spring, Italy recalibrated its strategy, launching unilateral initiatives like Operation Mare Nostrum (2013) and leading EU missions (Sophia, Irini, Aspides). Employing Gilpin's theory of systemic change, the article demonstrates how Italy filled security vacuums in the Mediterranean amid Northern European disengagement, blending realist interests with multilateral legitimacy. Domestically, bureaucratic entrepreneurship, notably the Navy, and populist constraints shaped mission designs, revealing tensions between humanitarian rhetoric and security imperatives. By hosting three EU operations and operationally commanding Aspides in the Red Sea, Italy has emerged as a pivotal maritime actor in Southern Europe, challenging Franco-German leadership in the CSDP. This study contributes to understanding the growing role of Italy in European maritime security, a woefully underexplored field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:23248823
DOI:10.1080/23248823.2025.2543650