Gli Esami Non Finiscono Mai: Italy and the European Union

There are four main themes which emerge from both scholarly and political commentary on Europe: Italy at the center of Europe, both as a founding member but also as one of the “Big Four” member states alongside Germany, France, and the United Kingdom; European integration as part of the process of modernization of Italian political, social, and economic life; Europeanization, not only making Italy more “European” but also trying to influence European decisions and politics; and the frayed but enduring consensus that Italy has a rightful place in Europe and that Europe is central to Italy’s postwar political and social order.