ENRICA COSTA BONA

L'Italia e l'integrazione europea: aspetti storici e diplomatici (1947-1957)

N. 147

Summary — In the ten years 1947-1957 Italy has been a spurring element in the European integration process, notwithstanding that sometimes motivations of home politics acted as a restraint. To get out of the position of weakness in which it was after the signature of the Peace Treaty (neutrality being impossible), with the attempt at a customs union with France and the adhesion to the Marshall Plan it drew near the western block. Italy tried hard to realize the European integration prevailingly on the economic-political ground rather than the military; however, it endeavoured to enter into the Atlantic Alliance that was being constituted, since it could not - under penalty of the exclusion from the international life - put forward conditions and claims: the Atlantic pact was looked upon as the premise for the construction of Europe that would become complete with the solution of the German problem. Italy did its best to bring to an end the French-German dissensions and was the first nation to adhere to Schuman’s proposal for a European carbo-siderurgical co-operation which later brought to the setting up of the ECSC; it was more cautious in respect of the Pleven Plan. Italy took part, however, in the conference for the organization of the European army that De Gasperi wanted to utilize as a political-unionistic instrument rather than diplomatic-military. The EDC crisis curbed the European construction which instead was spurred on in October 1954 with the creation of the WEU: in this Italy had a marginal position, owing to the pressing problem of Trieste. During the Winter 1954-55 proposals for new combines were put forward: the question of the "European revival" was discussed at the Messina conference in which the EAEC and the EEC were conceived. International events, as for instance the XX PCUS Congress, the events of Poland and Hungary and above all the Suez crisis had a relevant weight. The position of Italy was wavering between strengthening the European unification and getting much more near the United States, between revealing its "European vocation" and looking for formulas of autonomy: but the will to carry out the European integration prevailed resulting just in the Rome Treaties of March 1957.