Germany and Italy: the ‘odd couple’ at the heart of Europe

This article analyses the historical roots of the recent revival of the mutual prejudice between Germany and Italy in European politics. The paper seeks to explain the longevity of stereotyped representations of ‘the other’ in German-Italian relations down to the present day. To this end, both the national post-war memories and the ‘memory cultures’ of the two countries have to be taken into account. Furthermore, it argues that the resurgence of mutual prejudice between Germany and Italy can also be seen as the expression of a recurrent historical pattern in European politics after 1945. Despite the image of peaceful cooperation that has often been conveyed, the history of European integration has seen disagreements and conflict between the member states, periodically exhuming historic bones of contention and asymmetries. At points of heightened tension, one-sided or controversial post-war historical memories have tended to surface, steeped in stereotype, commonplace and prejudice. One recurrent cause of tension between Italy and Germany has been the prospect of a ‘variable-geometry’ or ‘multiple-speed’ Europe.