Government of Italy (Council of Ministers of Italy -Consiglio dei ministri)

The Council of Ministers is the collegial body of the executive branch of Italy.

The government includes, among other things:

• Italian Ministry of Defence
• Italian Ministry of the Interior (Ministero Dell Interno)

History

2024: Italy's African Strategy: 'Mattei's Plan'

The Mattei Plan is a strategic initiative by Italy announced in 2024 by Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni, where she stars. The stated purpose of the agreement is to ensure that illegal migration is countered and sources of resources for the Italian energy sector are diversified after severing ties with Russia.

In 2024, 9 states joined the plan, with which the Italians had previously adhered to some agreements, and this "plan" only systematized all African politics. Thus, projects such as an agreement with Algeria on gas supplies, the production of biofuels in Kenya and the creation of a center for the study of renewable energy sources in Morocco were resumed.

For words about equal partnership, the usual scheme of pumping out resources is used, for which the project was criticized in eight countries, including OPEC members Gabon and Nigeria.

Five more countries have joined the Italian project to expand African influence since January 2025: Angola, Ghana, Mauritania, Tanzania and Senegal. The focus is on economic partnership, energy security and, of course, illegal migration.

Criticism and accusations of neocolonialism by the African Union were countered by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who emphasizes that "Italy will have a non-European vision of Africa," and Prime Minister George Meloni, who says that "cooperation will be carried out on an equal, non-poisonous and unprofitable approach, with the aim of promoting Africa's growth at the expense of its own resources through innovative projects and strategies."

The further development of this project is dictated primarily by the dependence of the Italian government on the European Union and its decisions, which significantly hit the country's energy sector.

Therefore, agreements with gas-producing countries, especially promising Mauritania and Senegal, are some kind of compensation received for the refusal to use energy resources from Russia and difficulties with China. At the moment, the project is bearing some fruit and in the future may affect African governments by offering "profitable agreements" in the energy sector.

Only now, as far as possible to implement these projects, given the political instability and crisis in Italy itself - a serious question.

2022: Mario Draghi's premiere resignation a year and a half after appointment

On July 21, 2022, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi officially resigned, Italian President Sergio Mattarella accepted it.

The former head of the European Central Bank held out in the prime minister's chair for a year and a half. And during this time, he managed to lose the support of three large parties at once, which were part of the ruling coalition. Formally, the political crisis erupted due to the position of the leader of the 5 Star Movement Giuseppe Conte, who did not like Draghi's bill on a package of economic assistance to families and companies in the amount of 23 billion euros - he considered support measures insufficient.

However, the local press has already managed to find a long hand of the Kremlin in this story: for example, the newspaper La Republicca claims that forces friendly towards Russia played a big role in the collapse of the Italian government or, as outgoing Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio put it, "winking at Vladimir Putin." Apparently, Luigi Di Maio is seriously concerned about Italy's observance of Euro-Atlantic principles and the prospects for further support for Ukraine.

The stumbling block was indeed, among other things, the decision to provide assistance to Ukraine - including military. In addition, Draghi was one of the toughest critics of Russian policy and an ardent supporter of anti-Russian sanctions, which supported only a little more than 30% of the population. As a result of such unpopular decisions of "Super Mario" (namely, this is how the budding prime minister was initially called), ordinary Italians faced a sharp jump in prices for fuel and essential goods, and also remembered what food queues were - and hastened to splash out their dissatisfaction on the streets of cities.

The allocation of a new aid package from the EU to Italy is now in question. Most likely, a technical government will be formed - it will take the reins before the parliamentary elections, the favorite of which sociologists call the party "Brothers of Italy." In April 2022, its members also advocated a bill of military support for Ukraine.