ABSTRACT
Turning to the member-state level, this chapter approaches the Italian case starting from the idea that the space sector is at the centre of international competition. Great powers such as the United States, China and Russia look to space as a critical domain for economic, technological and military purposes. The EU has also shown considerable activity, both in supranational policy and at the intergovernmental level of individual states. In the context of this evolving international framework, the chapter focuses specifically on the Italian case study with a twofold objective: firstly, it aims to understand what role space policy militarisation plays in the current Italian security and defence debate, with particular attention to the relationship between the state and the defence and aerospace industries. Secondly, the chapter aims to investigate Italian preferences in the European context. Theoretically, it draws on intergovernmentalism in European integration theory to shed light on the complex relationship between domestic preferences and EU policies in space policy.
