The Berlusconi Foreign Policy Prior to the EU

Italian foreign policy has traditionally been shaped by the interplay between three factors: the transatlantic relations; Italy's relationship with the countries of the Mediterranean Sea, and Italy’s place in Europe.

The author asks if Italy's foreign policy has changed between the years 2001, when the centre-right government, led by Silvio Berlusconi, took office, and the second half of 2003, when Italy assumed the presidency of the Council of Ministers.