Italy and the Libyan Crisis: What Lessons for Foreign Policy?

Since 2011 the Libyan crisis has never stopped posing questions to the Italian political class and public opinion, showing all its relevance for the definition of the external action – either at the multilateral or bilateral level – of our country. From political mediation to the use of force, from the terrorist threat to the current COVID-19 crisis, from the management of irregular migration to the issue of human rights, Libya continues to represent an important test for Italy’s foreign policy. In recent months, the Libyan conflict has undergone important changes. International mediation under the lead of the United Nations and with the involvement of the regional actors seems to have lost steam and a new intensification of military operations has produced rapid changes in the balance of power on the ground. What have been Italy’s responses to the crisis? What are the objectives and the tools put in place? What lessons can we learn about the strengths and weaknesses of our foreign policy?

Summary report of the web seminar entitled “L’Italia e la crisi libica: quali lezioni di politica estera?”, organised on 29 May 2020 by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in the framework of the project “Osservatorio IAI-ISPI sulla politica estera italiana”.