Italian Senators through a dialogue on democracy urged the Italian government to lead Europe against China’s bellicose ambitions.
“When the Italian government under Prime Minister Conte signed the Belt and Road Initiative MoU with China, it was something “abnormal” said former Senator Luigi Campagna in the concluding remarks at the Dialogue on Democracy: The future of the Indo-Pacific, held in Rome on November 24th at Villa Malta. The Dialogue on Democracy was launched in April 2022, to bring together members of parliament, social activists and thought leaders from various democracies on one platform. “While action against China is important, it is essential for Italy to ally closely with India, as only this will help Italy counter Chinese pressure”, he said.
The event in Rome had Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, President of the Permanent Commission on European Affairs of the Italian Senate launch the discussion by bringing into context the importance of the Indo-Pacific and the time in history today where there is a grouping of democracies and a grouping of autocracies, led by China.
While the new Italian government, led by Italy’s first female Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni is unlikely to renew the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) MoU signed by the previous government of Prime Minister Conte, it is also expected to be tough on China. Senator Terzi, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a career diplomat, has a long history of calling out China on its human rights abuses.In a recent interview with the Italian magazine Verita, Senator Terzi said
