Preparing for The Hague summit, Italy casts doubt on NATO's legitimacy
Italy, one of the OG NATO members since '49, is set to convene with the current NATO crew, including President Trump, at a summit in The Hague. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, a buddy of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, voiced his concern about NATO's validity in the northern Italian city of Padua, stating, "NATO no longer has a reason to exist." He highlights the change in times, arguing the USA and the EU are no longer at the top of the world food chain. Crosetto believes NATO needs to adapt to these changing times to preserve peace and mutual defense.
Crosetto isn't just airing grievances about NATO; he's also calling out Europe. In his speech at the University of Padua, he addressed the EU: "Entirely outdated, we still live in the past. But everything has changed. We talk about Europe as if it matters. Perhaps it could have once, if it had given itself a political role that it hasn't. If it had an external policy or defense. But its time has passed."
Meloni climbed to power in Rome in '22 under heavy criticism of the EU. Since then, however, she's proven to be a reliable partner, including in Ukraine policy. Meloni is the head of a coalition made up of three right-wing and conservative parties.
A closer look reveals that both Crosetto and Meloni are pro-NATO and prioritize maintaining alliances within existing frameworks rather than pursuing a solo European military agenda. Crosetto is a former Christian Democrat, aligning with Meloni politically. He opposes the notion of a standalone European army, favoring interoperability within NATO's European division instead. Establishing recruitment centers and officer training programs would apparently take decades, making a European army much less practical than NATO collaboration.[5]
Meloni navigates Italy's commitments carefully. Although pro-NATO, she steers clear of military engagements like sending troops to Ukraine, indicating a reluctance to overextend Italy's military commitments. She also plays a mediator between the European establishment and more nationalist or realist perspectives, emphasizing the importance of a transatlantic alliance for European security. She cautions against a Europe-US divide that might lead to conflict on the continent.[1][5]
When it comes to the global South, while specific search results don't directly quote Meloni or Crosetto on collaboration, their broader approach indicates pragmatic and measured foreign policy that aligns with maintaining strong Western alliances (like NATO and the EU) while managing economic and diplomatic ties globally. Meloni takes economic strains and Italy's arms export restrictions seriously, suggesting a governance style that weighs multiple international considerations beyond traditional Western alliances.[1][3]
At the end of the day, the top defense and political leadership advocate for:
- Strong NATO collaboration, refusing independent European military ambitions.
- Maintaining transatlantic security ties as essential to European peace.
- Pragmatism in military commitments abroad and arms exports.
- Balancing economic interests and international responsibilities without drastic moves away from the West-led order.
This stance reflects calls for adaptation of Italy’s defense and foreign policies to current geopolitical realities, focusing on fostering cooperation primarily within NATO and EU frameworks rather than seeking an independent or radical rethink of global alliances.
- In his speech at the University of Padua, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto criticized the European Union for being outdated and living in the past, stating that it lacks a political role and external policy or defense, advocating for a more adaptive approach within existing alliances like NATO.
- Despite expressing concerns about NATO's relevance, both Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni advocate for strong collaboration within NATO, favoring interoperability over independent European military ambitions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining transatlantic security ties for European peace.
