As part of our research project, on September 12, we organized a panel titled “The past and future of Italian defense policy: actors, processes, and lessons learned”. The event was held during the 37th Annual Conference of the Italian Political Science Association (SISP), bringing together academics and researchers focused on the dynamics of Italian defense policy.

The panel was chaired by Professors Fabrizio Coticchia and Francesco Olmastroni, with Professor Coticchia also serving as the discussant. It featured a series of presentations addressing key and timely issues, such as Italy’s role in the international arena following the war in Ukraine, civil-military relations in humanitarian emergencies, and the impact of the Ukraine war on the 2022 Italian national elections. The panel also included a comparative longitudinal analysis of defense and security policies across ideological divides in Italy, France, and Germany.

The contributions sparked an in-depth and interdisciplinary discussion, offering valuable insights into the present and future of Italian defense policy while situating it in a broader European and international context.