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L'Italia e la politica internazionale. Edizione 2006

30/06/2006

The seventh edition of the foreign policy yearbook put out by the IAI and ISPI is devoted to the political and economic events of 2005. The international political system was still dominated by the Iraqi conflict and terrorism, phenomena which have had a strong influence on the transatlantic relations and Italy/US bilateral relations. The first part of the book takes a look at the general political situation, highlighting how a general feeling of insecurity of recent years has not ebbed: the danger of nuclear proliferation remains and has actually increased after the failure of the NPT Review Conference; attempts at UN reform were largely unsuccessful, vast areas of the world were hit by natural disasters, making effective mechanisms for intervention and coordination urgent. In the midst of all of this, Italian policy continues to be conditioned by developments in the international situation as well as the dynamics of its domestic politics. The second part of the volume is dedicated to the European Union and its integration process. In spite of the setback for the Constitutional Treaty, which has led to a reflection on enlargement, there seems to be progress in some fields, such as European defence. The third part is dedicated to the economy: growth seems to be picking up but there are still major imbalances. The "China" phenonenon and its aggressive policy to win markets could revive the protectionist threat. The EU countries, with their heavy deficits and increased public debts, have had to reform the Stability and Growth Pact in the hope of relaunching the economy. Finally, the book analyses the areas affected by international instability: the traditional "arc of crises" (Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq) as well as the tensions and changes in Eastern and Central Europe.

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