The Europeanization of National Foreign Policies. The intervention of France and Italy in the 2023 Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Against the backdrop of the European Common Foreign and Security Policy, the thesis examines how these nations' approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been influenced by European dynamics, particularly in light of recent events starting from the Hamas attack in October 2023. The topic of Europeanization in foreign policy is not merely academic; it has profound implications for understanding sovereignty, governance, and collective action in an interconnected world. As the European Union continues to assert itself on the global stage, its ability to coordinate foreign policy among its diverse Member States becomes increasingly critical. Italy and France, both founding members of the EU, present compelling subjects for analysis due to their distinct historical trajectories, geopolitical priorities, and institutional structures. This study aims to bridge gaps in existing literature by providing a comparative analysis of these two nations’ foreign policy adaptations to the European frameworks, offering insights into broader patterns of Europeanization. Moreover, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict provides a unique lens through which to explore these dynamics. Indeed, it has consistently been a priority for the European Union because of factors such as geographical proximity, historical ties, energy dependencies, and migration pressures, which have rendered the Middle East a strategically significant region for the Union and its Member States. By examining the foreign policy shifts of Italy and France in this context, the dissertation seeks to contribute to both the literature on Europeanization and the broader discourse on the EU’s role in global politics.