Italy and the BRICs: the political economy of a complex relationship

The chapter evaluates the recent efforts of the Italian diplomacy to develop a coherent trade and investment policy toward the most important emerging markets. It describes why in recent years Italy has substantially modified its policy, moving from a decentralized to a centralized decision-making approach. The results achieved up to now in terms of trade flows and bilateral investment position are examined as well. Some consideration on the lingering challenges conclude the chapter