In mid-June 2024, Italy hosted the G7 meetings, with a particular focus on Africa in Rome's agenda. This aligns with Italy's ongoing efforts to enhance its presence in Africa and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's aspirations to establish Italy as a crucial energy hub bridging Europe and Africa.
Significant Moves
In recent months, Italy has made intensive moves in Africa to bolster Rome’s influence on the continent. The implications of these efforts can be outlined as follows:
1- Presenting Italy as a new European destination:
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made it clear that Africa was a top priority on the agenda of the G7 meeting held in Rome in June 2024. Africa plays a significant role in Meloni's foreign policy, as evidenced by "The Mattei Plan for Africa." This plan aims to strengthen Rome's position as a bridge between Africa and Europe, facilitating the distribution of natural gas from Africa and the Mediterranean to Europe, while also addressing the issue of illegal migration.
Matteo Piantedosi, the Italian Minister of the Interior, announced that Italy is actively working on establishing a robust security infrastructure in Africa and investing in cybersecurity capabilities. These efforts align with the "Mattei Plan" and the "Rome Process," which recognize the importance of African development in addressing the challenge of illegal migration to Europe.
2- The 2024 Italian-African summit:
In early 2024, Rome played host to the Italian-African Summit, a pivotal event where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration unveiled Italy's ambitious vision for fostering development across the African continent. The government delineated five key investment sectors: energy, water, agriculture, health, and education, signaling a comprehensive approach to engagement.
The summit marked the launch of Italy's "Mattei Plan for Africa," a strategic initiative christened after Enrico Mattei, the visionary founder of the Italian energy giant ENI, and a staunch advocate for robust Italian-African cooperation in the 1950s.
This modern incarnation of the Mattei Plan draws inspiration from a post-World War II strategy conceived by Rome. The original plan was designed to secure Italy's energy resources by cultivating partnerships with African nations. However, it transcended mere resource exploitation, aiming to forge more holistic cooperative relationships. This nuanced approach successfully elevated Rome's standing as a dependable partner in the region.
The Italian government's current efforts to resurrect and reimagine this plan are part of a calculated maneuver to reinforce Italy's historical presence and amplify its influence in Africa. This strategic pivot unfolds against a backdrop of intricate geopolitical dynamics.
Through this revitalized Mattei Plan, the Italian administration seeks to address a trifecta of critical issues: bolstering energy security, stimulating economic development, and enhancing international engagement across the African continent.
3- Growing Italian presence in North and West Africa:
Meloni has embraced a step-by-step approach to African engagement, initially concentrating on North Africa. Italy has forged numerous agreements with countries in this region, serving a dual purpose: meeting Italy's energy demands—with Algeria now supplying 40% of Italy's gas needs—and managing illegal migration routes. Prime Minister Meloni unveiled plans to prioritize certain African nations, including Morocco, where Rome aims to establish a university center in Rabat.
Italy's African initiatives extend beyond North Africa. The country is collaborating with the Ivory Coast to enhance healthcare services, utilizing satellites to monitor agricultural crops in Algeria, and upgrading wells and water networks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreover, Rome is seeking to advance the existing ElMED project, an electricity bridge linking Italy and Tunisia.
In Libya, Rome has strengthened its cooperation with the government, securing an $8 billion gas deal with the Government of National Unity in western Libya. Italy also hosted Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar to coordinate efforts against illegal migration.
Recent months have seen growing Italian rapprochement with Egypt and Tunisia, expanding mutual cooperation. This includes a memorandum of understanding between Rome and Cairo, focusing on investments in Egypt's agricultural sector, healthcare, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
4- Italian moves in the horn of Africa:
The Horn of Africa remains a key area of strategic interest for Italy. Demonstrating this commitment, Italy dispatched a high-ranking delegation to Eritrea in June 2023, led by Adolfo Urso, the Italian Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy. This mission aligns with the government's ambitious "Mattei Plan," which aims to explore and capitalize on pivotal opportunities across Africa, with a focus on renewable energy, infrastructure development, agricultural advancement, and mineral resources.
Eritrea emerges as a prime opportunity for Italy's expansion efforts in the Horn of Africa. The country offers significant potential in various sectors, particularly in the development of photovoltaic and geothermal energy projects, as well as in the enhancement of port, road, and railway infrastructure. Moreover, Eritrea boasts a wealth of valuable minerals, including copper, zinc, iron, phosphate, potassium, and manganese, among others.
It is worth noting the historical context that underpins this relationship, as Eritrea was once an Italian colony, creating a unique bond between the two nations. Beyond Eritrea, Italy is actively seeking to strengthen its cooperation with other countries in the region. The Italian government is working to strengthen ties with Ethiopia, particularly in the realm of environmental support. Additionally, Italy has initiated a collaborative biofuel development project with the Kenyan government, further expanding its influence in East Africa.
Significant Implications
Africa has long been a peripheral concern in Italian foreign policy. However, the recent shift in focus towards the continent carries significant implications for Italy's future influence in Africa. These can be summarized as follows:
1- Meloni's strategy to strengthen domestic and international standing:
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's current African initiatives are closely tied to her efforts to solidify her position both within Italy and on the global stage. By presenting a compelling strategy for Italian businesses and voters, she aims to bolster domestic support. Africa, with its abundant resources, particularly in the energy sector, represents a golden opportunity for Italian economic growth and expansion.
Moreover, Meloni seeks to elevate Italy's leadership role within Europe. This ambition has made Africa a cornerstone of her foreign policy agenda since she took office in October 2022.
2- Capitalizing on French setbacks in Africa:
Italy's current initiatives in Africa are intrinsically linked to its broader strategy of strengthening its continental presence, leveraging France's recent setbacks. As French influence wanes and Paris gradually withdraws, Rome seeks to fill this vacuum and enhance its role in Africa. Italy's approach involves engaging with African leaders without the paternalistic tone often associated with France, which has fueled anti-French sentiment. By presenting itself as a more neutral and less interventionist actor, Italy capitalizes on its comparatively less exploitative historical role in Africa.
3- U.S. support for the Italian plan:
Western reports indicate that the U.S. and some European nations endorse Italy's African strategy. This support stems from Washington's apprehension that Russia and China might exploit diminishing Western influence to expand their presence in Africa. The Mattei Plan thus emerges as a response to intense geopolitical competition on the continent. Rome aims to offer an alternative to both the restrictive traditional Western model and the less constrained but politically challenging Russian and Chinese approaches.
4- Criticisms of Rome’s economic plan in Africa:
Despite intentions to enhance economic ties between Italy and African nations, some reports question the plan's clarity and the adequacy of resources for implementation. Critics suggest that Meloni's government developed the plan without substantial input from African leadership. Additionally, concerns have been raised about Rome's true objectives in Africa. While the Mattei Plan emphasizes promoting development to curb illegal migration, some argue that it prioritizes investments over comprehensive development, relying heavily on banks and private and state-owned companies while excluding humanitarian and non-governmental organizations.
5- Learning from Germany's African strategy missteps:
Germany's recent independent African strategy aimed to distance itself from negative French stereotypes, replacing traditional aid with private investments in renewable energy and environmental protection. However, its primary focus on preventing migration to Europe resulted in a narrow approach that failed to address the root causes of illegal migration comprehensively. Rome, learning from this, aims to adopt a more holistic strategy in Africa. While prioritizing migration issues, the Italian government seeks to ensure a long-term presence on the continent through a multifaceted approach. This marks the first time Italy has proposed a plan capable of redefining the rules of its developmental cooperation in Africa.
Potential Implications
The current Italian movements have several potential implications for the future of Italian presence in Africa, which can be identified as follows:
1- Challenges facing the Italian plan:
The Italian plan for Africa, while ambitious, faces several hurdles that could impede its implementation. Some challenges stem from the nature of the projects themselves, as many are simply reconfigurations of existing initiatives. Resource allocation presents another obstacle, with Rome having committed only €5.5 billion over the next five years—a sum insufficient to realize the Italian government's lofty African aspirations. Furthermore, Italy's limited institutional presence on the continent poses an additional challenge.
These factors have collectively hampered the government's ability to execute the plan effectively. To date, the sole concrete step taken by Rome regarding the "Mattei Plan" is the passage of a law by the Italian parliament in January. This legislation, comprising 11 articles, outlines the plan but falls short of specifying the actual projects Rome intends to implement or the resources it will utilize, merely indicating the areas of cooperation between Italy and African countries.
2- Integrating the Mattei plan within the European "Global Gateway Initiative":
Given the challenges confronting the Italian plan for Africa, some Western reports have proposed integrating it into a comprehensive European strategy. This approach aims to leverage European resources to achieve the plan's objectives and reinvigorate European influence in Africa. While the Italian government has allocated substantial funds for the Mattei Plan, the amount remains inadequate to significantly impact the vast African continent.
The German Institute for International and Security Affairs has suggested incorporating the Mattei Plan into the European Union's Global Gateway Initiative. Launched by the European Commission in December 2021, this initiative aims to enhance global connectivity through investments in digital development and infrastructure projects, with approximately €150 billion earmarked for Africa. Integrating the Mattei Plan with the EU initiative could help Rome achieve its African objectives by tapping into European financial, institutional, and diplomatic resources. This integration would also enhance the Mattei Plan's credibility, presenting it as part of a comprehensive European strategy rather than Rome's individual interests, potentially alleviating African nations' concerns about Italy's motives for expanding its presence on the continent.
3- Increased Italian momentum in Africa:
Analysts predict that the coming period may witness intensified Italian activities in Africa as Rome seeks to bolster its role on the continent. Consequently, the Italian government is expected to ramp up its consultations with African countries and launch numerous joint cooperation projects in the months ahead.
In conclusion, Italy's current initiatives offer a chance for Rome to reestablish its influence in Africa, considering the region's complex geopolitical landscape. However, these endeavors face numerous obstacles that could impact the efficacy of the Meloni government's strategies, potentially reducing them to mere variations of conventional European approaches. While aligning the Italian plan with the broader EU strategy might boost Italy's prospects for success, Rome may be concerned that such integration could diminish the distinctly Italian character within the larger European context. Nevertheless, the waning appeal of Western involvement in Africa might pave the way for a novel form of collaboration between Rome and other EU nations, with Italy potentially spearheading European initiatives on the continent.
