«Un bicchiere per tre quarti vuoto»? Il ruolo dell’Italia dal rilancio all’Atto unico europeo (1981-1986)

«A glass half empty»? Italy and the Single European Act (1981-1986) This article offers a reappraisal of Italy’s role in the making of the Single European Act. Based on new archival evidence, it aims to reassess Italy’s contribution to the European «relance» and to reconsider – in the light of the objectives set and the results achieved – the overall balance of Italian diplomatic action. Often misunderstood or at least underestimated, the role of Italian diplomacy in supporting the first comprehensive reform of the Treaties of Rome was constant and, in many ways, decisive. The article is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the priorities of the Italian European agenda, examining the first attempts to revitalize the EC (1981- 1983). The second part focuses on the institutional strategy pursued by Craxi and Andreotti. Finally, the third part concentrates on Italy’s commitment to counterbalance the single market by strengthening common policies and the monetary cooperation