Perché il 2026 sarà l'anno di Italia e Germania

·15 min·1 clip

The Italian-German alliance is consolidating as a new European strategic map while France faces internal instability.

The episode opens by framing the Italian-German alliance as a new strategic map for Europe, emerging in a context of French internal crisis and potential Trumpian pressure. Host Giorgio Rutelli introduces the topic, noting that this partnership seemed unthinkable just months ago. The discussion traces historical context, mentioning the failed European Defense Community of 1954 and how cooperation revived after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It highlights that both Italy and Germany currently have stable conservative governments led by Giorgia Meloni and Friedrich Merz, with no national elections expected for over a year. The episode contrasts Italy's past reputation as a fiscally undisciplined EU member with its current strong economic position, including a spread under 70 basis points. It details the second Italian-German ministerial forum on December 10, where ministers Adolfo Urso and Caterina Reiche produced a joint industrial policy document. This document calls for a radical revision of the EU's 2035 ban on endothermic engines, advocating for technological neutrality and biofuels. The bilateral agenda includes the upcoming visit of German Foreign Minister Johann Wadden Fuhl to Italy's Ambassador Conference and a Merz-Meloni summit on January 23, 2026. Defense cooperation is exemplified by the Leonardo-Rheinmetall joint venture (LRMW), which recently signed a contract to supply 21 armored vehicles to the Italian army. Space collaboration centers on the IRIS Square satellite constellation program, with a first launch scheduled for 2029. On digital regulation, Germany's Carsten Wilberger is pushing for machine-readable EU rules to reduce legal uncertainty, while Italy's Valentino Valentini advocates for less normative complexity. In the European Parliament, the PPE and ECR groups are increasingly collaborating, forming variable majorities that irritate socialists and liberals. The episode concludes by questioning whether this Rome-Berlin axis is merely tactical or could become a structural force for the EU's future, with 2026 positioned as a decisive year.

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