Turkish coup d'état

• Since coming to power, Giorgia Meloni’s government has been remarkably orthodox in its foreign policy.
• And yet on Africa, the prime minister has broken with convention, pointing to the intractability of the right-wing nationalist coalition’s foreign strategy.

The making of the Mattei plan

• To answer such questions, it is worth returning to the first iterations of the Mattei Plan for Africa.
• From then on, this Mattei plan for Africa has undergone much scrutiny and driven Italy’s partners wild as they tried to pin down the plan’s contents.

Venturing beyond the Mediterranean..

• For a long time, Italy has conceptualised its foreign action by referring to the geographical area of the “enlarged Mediterranean” as its core focus.
• In this way, the concept of African policy can be seen as a timely clarification on Italy’s part.

… In the steps of her conservative predecessors

• Back in the days when he was head of government in 2014-2016, Matteo Renzi visited nine African countries, calling to invest in the continent in terms quite comparable to those of the Mattei Plan.
• The idea of a correlation between the fight against immigration and the development of Africa appealed to the Meloni government, which associated it with the Mattei Plan.
• The presence of European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen further added a European dimension to the initiative, a point not lost on Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Italy’s old ties with Africa

• Italy is strongly rooted in Africa.
• We’ve already mentioned the importance of ENI, the state-owned oil and gas company that plays a pre-eminent role on the continent.
• We therefore observe a remarkable intensity in the relationship between Italian non-governmental actors and Africa.

Addressing the root causes of immigration

• Italy’s African policy initiative thus corresponds to a necessity for Meloni, who has to deal with attempts by Matteo Salvini’s Lega party to outflank her on the right.
• But it also responds to a series of wider influences that reflect the importance and complexity of the relationship between Italy and Africa.

Jean-Pierre Darnis a reçu des financements publics de recherche dans le cadre de l'Académie 5 de l'Université Côte d'Azur / financements IDEX

• The statement, made at a meeting for the Turkish Youth Foundation, was not an official announcement by any means.
• Rather, it was what appeared to be a frank statement communicated to a young party audience.
• Mincing words is not usually Erdoğan’s style; he can be quite direct and candid, which has been one of the key appeals of his charismatic personality.
• Understandably, response to the speech, both within and outside of Turkey, has so far been somewhat muted.

Erdoğan’s legacy

• It is perhaps too early to judge Erdoğan’s political legacy comprehensively.
• But his impact on the nation’s trajectory, its regional standing, social structures and government institutions has been undeniable.
• The two sides had a falling out and Erdoğan accused the movement of being behind the failed coup in 2016.
• From 2002 until the early 2010s, Turkey’s economy experienced unprecedented growth, fueled by increased foreign investment and large scale projects.
• The economic success of these years lifted millions into the middle class and led to higher living standards overall.

A Post-Erdoğan era?

• His son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, once touted as a clear frontrunner in the race to succeed him, has since left active politics.
• If a new president continues much of the similar policies and has a non-disruptive approach, then a peaceful transition is plausible.
• But Erdoğan’s party failing to concede a loss, or his voter base failing to recognize the results, may lead to a turbulent transition.

Yasar Bukan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The new report, Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict , found that election manipulation, warfare, and attacks on pluralism—the peaceful coexistence of people with different political ideas, religions, or ethnic identities—were key drivers of the global decline.
• "Global freedom took a big step backward in 2023," said Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House.
• Key report findings include the following:
  Widespread problems with elections, including violence and manipulation, drove deterioration in rights and freedoms.
• Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free.

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