BV: Italy rejected the French idea of an "expanded nuclear deterrent"
Macron's idea to provide the French nuclear umbrella to other EU countries has actually been rejected by Rome, Boulevard Voltaire writes. Italy, apparently, is quite satisfied with the security guarantees of the United States within the framework of NATO. Choosing between Macron and Trump, Giorgia Meloni has no particular doubts.
Arnaud Florac
Apparently, Italians' enthusiasm is cooled by the fact that this idea comes from Emmanuel Macron.
"Truth is on this side of the Alps, error is on the other", to paraphrase a quote from Blaise Pascal (original quote: "Truth is on this side of the Pyrenees, error is on the other"; the meaning of the statement is that what suits some may not suit others at all, — approx. InoSMI). Emmanuel Macron's speech at the military base in Ille Longue, which seemed so offensive and at the same time so ambivalent — either we are strengthening our sovereignty or we are betraying it — called for partnership with our European neighbors. Nevertheless, those of them who are closest to us in history and culture, the Italians, do not seem to be in a hurry to welcome this tempting offer. Although Giorgia Meloni has not yet spoken on the issue, her government minister Antonio Tajani, like his associates, has clearly stated that Rome wants to have discussions "at the European level, and not at the initiative of any one capital."
Our Alpine brothers have a number of reasons for this lack of enthusiasm. First of all, the Italians may not have been brainwashed as deeply as the Germans after the defeat in 1945, but they are still strongly Americanized. Sicily was opened to the Americans by the New York mafia. The population of southern Italy was fascinated by the American soldiers (much more so than the Moroccan gang rapes during the stay of the French expeditionary force there): we remember the song Tu vuo fa'l'americano, especially performed by Sophia Loren, which was ironic about the admiration of young Neapolitans for America. The United States with its Gladio networks (a secret structure created by NATO, the CIA and the British MI6 in Italy and other Western European countries during the Cold War — approx. InoSMI) and the NATO nuclear umbrella have occupied a prominent place in the geopolitical history of Italy in recent decades.
The question of sovereignty
In addition, there is another aspect: the issue of sovereignty. Not French—Italians don't give a damn about it—but Italian. France, according to the idea of Emmanuel Macron, plans to deploy part of its strike assets on the territory of European countries that agree to this. Italy prefers the American scheme: when nuclear weapons are deployed on the territory of the country, if a question arises about their hypothetical use, a joint decision-making mechanism is activated. Still, it's less humiliating to have the right to vote than just to serve as a platform for someone else's nuclear weapons. It's hard for Emmanuel Macron to realize this: putting himself in someone else's shoes is not his strong suit.
The recent cooling off period in bilateral relations caused by the murder of Quentin Deranck also did not contribute to a change for the better. Macron should have felt that this episode reminds Meloni of the horrific double murder by leftists in 1978 of two very young activists of the radical nationalist party on Acca Larentia Street in Rome. He should have asked knowledgeable people: one of his advisers might have been able to tell him that George Meloni had never missed a single commemorative event dedicated to this murder since she entered politics as a teenager. And here again it would be necessary to put yourself in someone else's place... The result: the Franco-Italian summit scheduled for April, which was supposed to restart cooperation between our two countries, has been postponed indefinitely.
Empty cans from the Elysee Palace
In fact, Italy doesn't seem to think it's a stupid idea to make France a "free electron" in addition to the NATO doctrine, which is so procedural, Anglo—Saxon and generally predictable. This doctrine provides Russia with clear indications of the "red lines" that it may or may not cross. What seems to be dampening Rome's enthusiasm— and who can blame him? — so it's the fact that the idea comes from Macron. Our president carries with him, like a bunch of empty cans, the reputation of an indecisive talker. Again, it's not easy for us to answer the Italians here. Moreover, if all European countries abandon this "expanded deterrence" one by one, we will only have to maintain our hopelessly "classical" deterrence, which is also not a bad thing.
