Bulletin n. 3/2010
January 2011
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Minuto Rizzo Alessandro
    L’Italia, la Slovacchia e l’Europa. Un percorso storico comune
    in Rivista di Studi Politici Internazionali , Volume 77, n. 2, aprile-giugno ,  2010 ,  259-264
    Europe is revisiting itself after the divisions of the cold war and centuries of internal fights. It is an extraordinary result we Europeans should be proud of. It allows us to see currents of history and common features that were not easy to detect when wars and tensions were the focus of attention. The relations between Italy and Slovakia are a good example as we discover that the two peoples have much in common and developed solid bonds along the centuries. We started with Marcus Aurelius, the famous emperor and philosopher who found inspiration and wrote his meditations in this region, then at the borders of the empire. The Saints Cyrillus and Methodius, protectors of Europe, evangelized Slovakia and are buried in Rome, a natural bond. During the 19th century oppressed nationalities fought all along the continent to regain their identities. Italians and Slovaks were at the forefront of those movements and we know that there were frequent contacts and reciprocal sympathy. During the first world war Italy strongly supported the Slovak national movement and the first unit of the new Slovak army was constituted in Rome in spring 1918. The Italian government hosted with sympathy and practical assistance Mr. Štefanik, the father of modern Slovakia. Then came the tormented history of the second world war. More recently, during the cold war Italy did its best to show solidarity to those who were victims of the regime. The university of Bologna was the first to give a laurea honoris causa to Alexander Dubcek in 1988. This brief excursus through history does not take into account direct migrations, culture and arts. Altough different from each other, Italy and Slovakia share a natural interest to networking with other peoples, to belonging to a larger space, to working and trading within common rules. The European Union is the natural conclusion of this process. It is in the common interest for the two countries to work together in this framework as best as they can. The first objective is to aim at a good functioning of the European system, while at the same time developing common projects for the mutual benefit.
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