Relationship dossier
Germany
Italy
Relationship assessment
Close partners in the EU and NATO, with periodic disagreements over European policy.
Germany toward Italy
+75The German government has coordinated with Italy through EU institutions and NATO, including on European policy and shared security concerns. These durable frameworks support close bilateral cooperation, although differences over EU fiscal rules and migration policy have periodically strained coordination.
Italy toward Germany
+75The Italian government has worked with Germany through EU institutions and NATO on European policy and shared security concerns. Cooperation is supported by enduring institutional ties, while disagreements over fiscal rules and migration have at times complicated joint policy.
Overall relationship
+75The relationship is anchored in sustained cooperation through the EU and NATO and regular coordination on European affairs. Periodic disagreements, particularly over fiscal policy and migration, create friction but coexist with a durable strategic and institutional partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany and Italy maintain a close partnership shaped by European integration, NATO cooperation, and extensive bilateral coordination. Their governments have worked together through the European Union and NATO, including on shared policy challenges and defense. Differences over fiscal policy, migration, and the handling of EU issues have periodically created friction, but have not displaced the durable institutional partnership.
Areas of tension
- Disagreements over EU fiscal rules and the balance between fiscal discipline and flexibility.
- Differences over migration policy and responsibility-sharing within the EU.
Key developments
Germany and Italy became founding members of the European Economic Community, laying a durable foundation for cooperation in European integration.
Germany and Italy joined NATO, establishing a lasting framework for cooperation on collective defense.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and continuity of recent bilateral coordination on defense and migration are unclear.
- The practical effects of differences over EU fiscal and migration policy vary over time.