The Russia-Ukraine War, which started on February 24, 2022, has caused many countries in Europe to review their energy policy. Italy is one of these countries. Contrary to popular belief, Italy and Russia have developed close partnerships since the 1960s. Because Italy was home to the largest Communist Party in Europe among the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at that time. In this context, the Italian business world and the Soviet Union signed one lucrative energy agreement after another, and this situation continued after the end of the Cold War.[1] Therefore, it can be said that the energy cooperation between Italy and Russia is based on a long history.
The Rome administration has cooperated closely with Moscow on energy, especially since the period of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (2001-2006, 2008-2011). In this context, Italy has developed a dependency on Russia on natural gas. In 2021, Italy met 95% of its natural gas needs by importing, while Italy’s largest natural gas supplier was Russia with 38%.[2]
In this context, the Rome administration focused on minimizing the energy dependence on Moscow after the Russia-Ukraine War as well as carrying out activities to transform the country into an energy hub. Nevertheless, the fact that Italy is a country that stands out with its port cities indicates that it can also play a significant role in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.
On the other hand, in October 2022, Giorgia Meloni took office as Prime Minister in Italy. During the Meloni period, important breakthroughs began to be made in Italy’s energy policy. In this context, the pillar of Italy’s policy to turn into an energy hub is the partnership it is trying to develop with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries.
The main reason why MENA countries constitute an important place in Rome’s policy is due to Italy’s geopolitical position. Because Italy, in addition to being one of the leading powers of the Eastern Mediterranean due to its location, has also had a significant influence on North Africa in the historical process. Libya, for example, was one of Italy’s former colonies. Therefore, there is also a historical dimension of Rome’s interest in this region.
With all this, the Meloni Government aims to turn Italy into an energy bridge from south to north. Italy aims to achieve this by investing in MENA countries and constructing natural gas interconnections with countries in this region. Ultimately, through these policies, Rome aspires to transform Italy into an energy hub. It should be underlined that in the last decade, three major natural gas pipelines have been built connecting Italy to the fields in Algeria, Libya and Azerbaijan.[3] In other words, it is seen that there is a certain infrastructure of Italy’s policy aimed at becoming an energy hub.
On the other hand, Meloni stated at the MED Mediterranean Dialogue Forum on December 3, 2022, that Italy is determined to strengthen its role in the Mediterranean. Meloni also stressed that there must be a strong signal that the centre of gravity of European energy trade is shifting towards the Mediterranean, and that Italy can play a leading role in this. Meloni stated that European financing will be decisive in this regard and that Italy is an energy bridge between the Mediterranean and Europe.[4]
Another region that Meloni attached special importance to at the Mediterranean Dialogue Forum was Africa. In this context, the Italian Prime Minister expressed her support for the “Mattei Plan” for Africa. The plan is named after Enrico Mattei, the founder of the Italian energy company ENI. Mattei is known as the first major Western company to offer fair deals to the principle that countries with oil reserves should receive 75% of the profits from their exploitation. Accordingly, Meloni states that the Mattei Plan represents a virtuous model of cooperation and growth between the European Union (EU) and African countries, and that their approach adopts a collaborative attitude, not a predatory stance towards African nations.[5]
As can be understood from Meloni’s aforementioned statements, Italy strives to be the EU’s bridge with the Mediterranean and Africa in terms of energy. Moreover, it can be said that Italy is trying to increase its power in European politics through energy security, which has become the main issue of the European agenda after the war in Ukraine. Because Italy lags behind the Germany-France duo in terms of importance in foreign policy within the EU. For this reason, Italy is trying to become the most important actor of the EU in the Mediterranean and Africa with the energy breakthrough it wants to realize.
In addition to all these, the partnerships that Italy has developed with Algeria and Libya on energy among MENA countries are very important. Meloni paid a visit to Algeria on January 22, 2023. Thus, Algeria became the first African country that Meloni visited as Prime Minister of Italy. After the Rome administration wanted to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Algeria became the most important gas partner of this country by promising to meet about 40% of Italy’s natural gas needs.[6]
On the other hand, Meloni visited Libya on January 28, 2023. Italy has signed some agreements with the Government of National Unity, the legitimate government in Libya. In this context, a natural gas agreement worth 8 billion euros was signed between the Libyan National Oil Corporation NOC and the Italian energy company ENI.[7]
The Meloni Government aims to present Italy as a nexus between the African and European continents thanks to the natural gas that will flow from Libya to Europe. Nevertheless, it can be argued that Italy’s most important partner among the MENA countries is Libya. Therefore, Libya, in a sense, is the gateway to Africa for Italy.
Furthermore, a large number of irregular migrants come to Italy from countries such as Libya and Algeria. Italy is known for its strict stance on irregular migration within the EU. Therefore, Rome aims to prevent irregular migration to Europe by making these countries an important partner of the EU as well as itself through energy agreements and investment.
In addition to all this, Meloni announced on February 6, 2023, that she would use the funds from the EU’s “REPowerEU” plan which was prepared to reduce dependence on Russia to make Italy the energy hub of Europe. The total amount of funds allocated by the EU for this plan is worth around 300 billion euros. Meloni, who met with the CEOs of Italian energy companies such as Eni, Enel, Snam and Terna, drew attention to the need for cooperation with Africa on energy supply.[8]
Consequently, the effective role that Italy will play in terms of energy in the coming period will be decisive in terms of increasing its power in European politics. In this respect, Italy, due to its geopolitical position, has taken action to develop strong partnerships, especially with MENA countries. The main goal of policymakers in Italy is to turn the country into a bridge between Africa and the Mediterranean. Moreover, Italy’s goal of becoming an energy hub is related to the “Broader Mediterranean Strategy”, which is the most important geopolitical project of the country in recent times.
[1] “Italy’s Entanglements with Russia and the Parties’ Energy Programs”, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, https://www.freiheit.org/spain-italy-portugal-and-mediterranean-dialogue/italys-entanglements-russia-and-parties-energy, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[2] “Italy Could Ration Energy in May if Russia Stops Supplies”, Anadolu Agency, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/energy/international-relations/italy-could-ration-energy-in-may-if-russia-stops-supplies/35178, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[3] “Italy as an Energy Hub. Delving Into Meloni’s Mattei Plan”, Decode 39, https://decode39.com/5845/italy-energy-hub-meloni-mattei-plan/, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[4] “Meloni Discusses Security, Shared Challenges at Rome Med”, Decode 39, https://decode39.com/5094/meloni-med-dialogues/, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[5] Ibid.
[6] “Meloni in Algeria: What to Expect”, Decode 39, https://decode39.com/5581/meloni-in-algeria-what-to-expect/, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[7] “Italy’s Eni Signs $8bn Gas Deal with Libya Amid Energy Crunch”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/28/italys-meloni-in-libya-to-conclude-8bn-gas-deal, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[8] “Italy to Use EU Funds to Become Energy Hub for Europe, Meloni Says”, Euractiv, https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/italy-to-use-eu-funds-to-become-energy-hub-for-europe-meloni-says/, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
