Unpolitical European Security: Party Competition changes and Italy's effects on the EU CFSP/CSDP

In the last decade especially, in Italy as well as elsewhere in Europe many populist parties have brought about changes in the party competition dynamics. This has had consequences on how parties talk about issues, affecting foreign and security policy too and thus threatening the country's cooperation in the EU on security issues. However, once elected, these parties do not bring about the end of cooperation, but rather make use of their membership strategically. What are the consequences of these strategies for the EU CFSP/CSDP? This paper tries to understand the effects of different anti-establishment governments in Italy from 2013 until 2023/4 on the EU's foreign and security policy. It argues that parties strategize on security issues following party competition dynamics and that their effects on this EU policy domain depend on their potential domestic gains and international costs. I corroborate my argument drawing from party manifestos, news coverage, autobiographies, political speeches and texts, and with interviews with Italian politicians and bureaucrats from the Ministries of foreign affairs and defence. The paper aims at contributing to discussions about how the "unpolitical" develops and under which conditions it has an impact on security issues.