Italy on the Margins of the EU: A Strategy Is Needed – HuffPost – Pietro Paganini
HuffPost has published my commentary on Italy’s marginalization in the European Union’s decision-making process. Despite being well-represented numerically among the Commission’s staff, we struggle to exert real influence in key positions.
With only 3 key roles in the Commissioners’ cabinets, compared to Germany’s 9 and France’s 8, Italy is relegated to the periphery of EU decision-making. Although Italians are numerically strong in the Commission, there is no national strategy to transform this potential into leadership.
You can read the full commentary here on HuffPost >>> or find a brief summary below.
Italy on the Margins of the EU: A Strategy Is Needed
Italy finds itself in a concerning position within the new European Commission, holding just 3 roles in the Commissioners’ cabinets, compared to Germany’s 9 and France’s 8. This imbalance highlights a political fragility that translates into limited influence over key decisions.
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Italian personnel are numerous in the Commission, representing 14.6% of the total workforce—a higher percentage than the French, Germans, or even the host Belgians. However, this presence does not translate into political clout, as Italian officials are often assigned to less strategic roles and unevenly distributed across Directorates-General. In contrast, France and Germany advance cohesively through coordinated national strategies and networks of officials in key positions.
The core issue is internal: Italy lacks a unified national strategy to coordinate its human capital effectively. Political fragmentation and the absence of a cohesive approach prevent the country from safeguarding its national interests, from promoting the “Made in Italy” brand to defending the Mediterranean Diet.
To reverse this trend, it is crucial to position officials strategically within Commissioners’ cabinets and Directorate-General leadership, proactively anticipate European policy decisions, and create a cohesive national network that aligns institutions, politicians, and officials toward common goals.
European decisions shape our future. Italy must remove its role as a passive spectator and reclaim its position as a key player in shaping the policies that matter.
