Conversation with Damon Wilson, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council, who explains the similarities between the tasks that await Biden and Draghi and the opportunity to relaunch the US-Italy relationship
Damon Wilson answers the phone from Washington. A few days ago the Atlantic Council, one of the most important think tanks in the United States of which he is executive vice president, hosted the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on the occasion of the latter’s visit to the American capital to celebrate 160 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“It was an opportunity to highlight the opportunity we have to relaunch the relationship between Italy and the United States”, explains Wilson a Formiche.net underlining the “positive exchanges” between the head of Italian diplomacy and his US counterpart Antony Blink, in Brussels first and in Washington after.
On the occasion of the event hosted by Minister Di Maio, organized by the Atlantic Council together with Ispi and the Italian embassy in Washington, Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the think tank, underlined the excellent relationship between the US president Joe Biden and the Prime Minister Mario Draghi citing an episode from 2015: the then governor of the European Central Bank was awarded the Global Citizen Award of the Atlantic Council and the then Deputy of Barack Obama he congratulated him on the “really hard work” he had done. He also recently spoke of “harmony” between Rome and Washington Thomas Smitham, interim chargé d’affaires at the United States Embassy in Italy led by Armando Varricchio.
A similar judgment comes from Wilson: “Italy is ready to be an important global player”. The momentum comes from President Draghi, whose agenda, he explains, “coincides with that of Biden: to relaunch the economy of his country to come back stronger abroad, able to compete with other democracies with China”.
The expert underlines two elements: “Draghi can relaunch Italy and with him Italy can be more present in the European Union and in NATO thanks also to its international relations and its reputation. Furthermore, this year Italy is at the helm of the G20, an unmissable opportunity to establish itself internationally ”.
Wilson knows Europe and its movements well. It has been for over a year, from late 2007 to early 2009, senior director for European Affairs at the National Security Council when he was in the White House George W. Bush. And today he comments on what in Washington has often been called “a false step”: two years ago Italy became the first European country and the first G7 country to sign the memorandum of understanding on the Silk Road with China. “The Silk Road has aroused and arouses great concern,” says Wilson. “But the truth is that it is a systemic challenge, a common problem. For this, a common transatlantic strategy is needed to deal with China, both from an industrial point of view (think of the security of value chains and technology, even 5G) and from a value defense point of view. [occidentali]. In this sense, Draghi can be the right person for this common strategy ”, explains Wilson, underlining that in Europe there are countries,“ such as the United Kingdom and Germany ”, which have much stronger ties with China than Italy.
Speaking of Western values, what has come to mind in recent days by Ambassador Smitham, who reported that the US administration “is organizing a summit between democracies for December or January”. “President Biden is committed to this summit,” Wilson comments. “It will be an important time to respond to today’s challenge: to demonstrate that open societies are compatible with economic growth. For this we need what I call the ‘fourth democratic wave’ that extends to Africa, Asia and South America ”. Italy, adds Wilson, “can be an important partner, especially in Africa. Just think of Libya ”.
The last issue we discuss with Wilson relates to a very active debate across the Atlantic on the relationship between Biden’s United States and its allies. The expert has no doubts: “Being friends of the United States with Biden is much easier than being friends with Donald Trump. We cannot hide there are differences on some issues but there is the will to work together. Of course, the commitment required of the allies is now serious, it is hard work. This is why it may appear more difficult ”.