Book warns of the Italian negotiating style

Date: 14/03/1996

The Italians are getting a bit peeved about criticisms over their handling of the EU presidency so far.

They could do worse than study a new book on Italy's view of the Maastricht Treaty negotiations to get things in perspective.

A pair of Italian diplomats, Rocco Cangelosi and Vincenzo Grassi, have produced an account of life backstage in the run-up to Maastricht.

They were both closely involved - Cangelosi as deputy permanent representative to the EU and personal representative of the foreign minister at the Intergovernmental Conference which negotiated the Maastricht Treaty and Grassi as a senior Italian diplomat.

The book contains some handy tips on the Italian negotiating style. It recalls that, in 1990, Italy did not hesitate in isolating the UK over EMU, thus contributing to the downfall of Baroness Thatcher.

The same kind of stand can be expected this time around: the book warns the UK against adopting immobilising or delaying negotiating tactics.

Readers are also reminded that during the Maastricht negotiations, it was the then Italian Treasury Minister Guido Carli who successfully “softened” the EMU convergence criteria.

An impressive result for the 1990-92 Andreotti- De Michelis team. The question now is whether the Dini-Agnelli duo can achieve as much this year.

Bonn, meanwhile, is asked not to push for a Europe “the German way”, although it is hard to see what other way the Germans, being Germans, would plump for.

Apparently, the German way means too much subsidiarity, more powers for the Committee of the Regions and Council voting rights weighted according to population.