journal of european integration history revue d'histoire de l ...

104Maria Eleonora GuasconiEuropean integration, in order to obtain a better balance between US and Europe and toplay a role in the international arena after a series of events, which had left the country anarrow space of manoeuvre. 15 De Gaulle's foreign policy, based upon close ties whichGermany, had reserved only a junior role to Italy, German Ostpolitik, was by no meansan Italian affair, détente, in general, left Europe outside the big stream ofSoviet-American relations and stressed the US diminishing interest towards Europeand, last but not least, the Non Proliferation Treaty put an end to the Italian not so wellhidden hopes to accede to nuclear power.As to the question of enlargement, the Italian government had been an enthusiasticsupporter of the United Kingdom's admission to the EC, ever since the first applicationin 1961. 16 Although Community enlargement would cause some economic problems tothe country, Italy supported British entry mainly for political reasons, either for thespecial relationship between London and Washington, and because enlargement wouldhelp to counterbalance the preponderant French-German hegemony in the Community.At a meeting in London held a few days after the resignation of the French president deGaulle, the Italian president, Giuseppe Saragat, explained to the British Prime ministerHarold Wilson, that«the presence of the UK with her democratic political traditions would help todefend the democratic tradition in Italy».The United Kingdom's interest in joining Europe was «said to be economic, butItaly found the general political reasons more weighty». 17Although the political reasons were overwhelming, Italian support to Great Britain'sadmission hid also other, more subtle, domestic goals. On several occasions, during theenlargement negotiations, Italian political leaders proposed the British to accept theCAP with a gradual period of transition and with the aim of striving for modificationsafter their entry. From inside the Community and with the Italian support, they shouldask for changes in the sense of a fairer distribution of burdens. 18«This was one of the unsaid reasons for Italian support of the British entry into theCommunity, which would lead to dynamic possibilities for the Community as wellas for Britain»,said the then Prime minister Emilio Colombo to the chancellor of the Duchy ofLancaster, Geoffrey Rippon, during a series of conversations, which took place at15. Archivio Storico del Ministero degli Esteri (ASMAE), Rome, Letter by Luciolli to the Foreignminister Medici, September 17 th , 1968, secret. The author thanks Ennio Di Nolfo for the document.16. See P. LUDLOW, Dealing with Britain. The Six and the First United Kingdom Application to theEuropean Economic Community, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1997; U. KITZ-INGER, Diplomacy and Persuasion. How Britain Joined the Common Market, Thames & Hudson,London, 1973; A. MILWARD, The Rise and the Fall of a National Strategy: the UK and the EEC,Cass, London, 2002; C. O'NEILL, op.cit.17. Public Record Office (PRO), Kew Gardens, PREM 13/2738, Record of a meeting held at theItalian embassy on Thursday 24 th April 1969 at 7.00 p.m.18. See for example PRO, PREM 13/3542, Record of a conversation between the Chancellor of theDuchy of Lancaster and the Italian minister of the Treasury, present: G. Thomson, C. O'Neill, C.Tickell, J. A. Stern, E. Colombo, A. Manzini, V.G. Stammati, May, 18 th 1970 at 5.00 p.m., confidential.