Systemic Pressures And Present Opportunities: Addressing Italian And European Engagement In The Indo-Pacific.

This panel aims to address the systemic concerns and domestic processes that have prompted Italy and other European actors as well as NATO to engage with the Indo-Pacific region. It places Italy at the center of a dilemma currently faced by many European and NATO nations: whether to engage with a distant region and bear the associated costs or to accept the risks of potential repercussions to their economy and security resulting from regional crises in the Indo-Pacific. The panel seeks to analyze the rationale behind several initiatives undertaken by Italy and other European states aimed at enhancing engagement with key Indo-Pacific states, actors, and organizations. While the role of security and defense in such engagement is undeniable, the panel also aims to broaden understanding in different domains, ranging from economic cooperation to norm promotion—fields in which the foreign policies of individual states are coordinated by the European Union at various levels.
The panel’s objective is to present to the audience a complex patchwork of systemic pressures, varied domains of interest, and diverse interlocutors that European states must navigate to effectively engage with Indo-Pacific affairs. Another aim is to enhance scholarly understanding of the nature of these strategies, highlighting that, while some countries like France and Germany have released strategic documents for the region, many other European states—Italy included—reactively respond to systemic pressures and incentives. These factors serve as the primary drivers for their engagement in the Indo-Pacific, far beyond what is traditionally considered their strategic “backyard”.
Finally, the panel highlights policy options for Italy and other European states, emphasizing the potential of releasing explicit regional strategies. It stresses the growing relevance of the Indo-Pacific region in world affairs and the importance of proactively engaging with these changes, thereby reducing the risk of passively enduring shifts in international politics, economics, and security.