Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Italian sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Italian sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 65.5

Delegation of sovereignty: Italy is a key member of the EU, NATO, the United Nations, the G7, the G20, the OSCE, the WTO, the Council of Europe, the Emergency Committee on Climate, the IMF, the World Bank, and many specialized organizations (FAO, WHO, WIPO, and others — 130+ structures); Italy is the initiator and participant of major EU and global programs climate and investment platforms, periodically chairs the G7, the EU and other international alliances.

Limitation of national legislation/supremacy of national rights: The Italian Constitution (Articles 10-11, 117) explicitly provides for the priority of the norms of international law and the EU (including jus cogens, agreements and decisions of the EU courts, the ECHR, etc.); national legislation is adjusted after the relevant decisions of the EU, only the Constitutional Court can refuse to implement — for reasons of the basis of the legal system.

Domestic political stability: The WGI Political Stability Index is 0.58 (2023), which is the highest in the last 10-12 years; in 2024, Prime Minister George Meloni's party holds a stable majority and a high level of support, the coalition is showing strength, the opposition is weak. Government Effectiveness (WGI): The Government Effectiveness indicator (WB, 2023) is 1.18 (above the EU average); public administration, justice, macroeconomic and social policy are at the standard level of developed EU countries.

E-government (EGDI): Italy consistently ranks in the top 25 according to the EGDI index (2022-2024); e-government at the “very high” level — SPID portal, digital document system, online banking, advanced platforms for businesses and the public. Support/trust in the national to the leader: Giorgia Meloni (prime Minister since 2022) maintains stable support (38-44% of voters — 2024 polls), her coalition is leading in parliament and the 2024 European Elections, the opposition's rating is at a historic low.

Foreign military bases: Italy is a key NATO foothold (Vicenza, Aviano, Sicily, Naples, Gaeta: air, naval, air bases of the United States, NATO allies, radar system and clean rooms), part of the bases is intended for allied nuclear weapons. Participation/distancing from transnational courts: Italy recognizes the jurisdiction of the CJEU, the ECHR, the ICC, the International Court of Justice, the arbitrations of all key structures (EU, UN, Council of Europe), the Italian courts are obliged to comply with the decisions of these forums, subject to compliance with the Constitution.

Centralization/decentralization of power: Italy is a decentralized unitary state: There are 20 regions (5 with special status), regions and municipalities manage many issues (budget, infrastructure, education, medicine), but strategy, macrofinancial and defense are the powers of the center.

Transparency and control of intelligence services: Control over the activities of the Foreign and Domestic Intelligence Service (DIS, AISE, AISI) is carried out through parliamentary oversight, public reporting in a number of areas, regular reports and the introduction of anti-corruption procedures, although the issue of transparency of operations remains a subject for discussion in the expert and media community.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 98%.

Economic sovereignty — 59.2

GDP per capita (PPP): In 2024, the figure for Italy is 53 115-60 847 USD (according to various sources, the maximum value for the World Bank is 60 847 USD, according to CEIC and TradingEconomics — 53 115 USD). Sovereign gold and foreign exchange reserves: In 2024, the official volume of reserves (including gold) is 290.5 billion USD (a historical maximum), reserves amount to 2.3% of GDP.

Government debt (% of GDP): By the end of 2024, Italy's public debt is 134.9–135.3% of GDP (the most recent ISTAT revision is 134.9% at the end of the year, CEIC and Statista data are 135.3%); this is the third largest debt indicator among the developed economies of the world. Food security: Italy fully provides itself with basic foodstuffs (grain, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, wine, milk, cheeses, etc.; exports of food products bring the economy 60-65 billion euros annually).

Exotic and tropical goods, coffee, cocoa and some feed are imported. Energy independence: About 65-72% of the country's energy resources (oil, gas, coal) are imported, especially from North Africa, the Middle East and Norway; Italy occupies a leading position in the EU in the development of solar, wind and geothermal generation — about 38% of electricity from renewable energy sources in 2024.

Explored resources: Italy uses significant reserves of marble, sulfur, zinc, copper, barite, lithium, potassium, salt, pumice, cement raw materials and building stone; there are no hydrocarbon deposits, industrial deposits of energy raw materials and minerals.

Freshwater reserves: The country is one of the EU leaders in terms of freshwater, with annual resources of 176 billion m3, the maximum availability for Southern Europe; drought problems are typical only for the southern regions and Sardinia.

National payment processing: All clearing and payment transactions take place through the TARGET2 system (Eurosystem), national banks are integrated into the settlement and payment system of the Bank of Italy, Italian payment acquirers (Nexi, SIA, Bancomat, MyBank) are developed.

The share of national currency in calculations: 100% of all domestic and 98% of export-import payments are made in euros (the national currency since 1999); the share of other currencies is minimal and amounts to only 2% for large export contracts.

Its own issuing center and credit policy: The Central Bank, Banca d'Italia (Bank of Italy), has the function of issuing euros (coins) under ECB limits, the full-fledged credit policy is overseen by the European Central Bank; the national policy of the Bank of Italy concerns only banking supervision, liquidity allocation and statistics.

GDP per capita (PPP): In 2024, Italy reached $53,115-60,847 PPP (discrepancies according to sources: World Bank, TradingEconomics, etc.)

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 90%

Technological sovereignty — 62.1

R&D expenses (% of GDP): In 2024, R&D expenditures amount to 1.43–1.46% of GDP (26th in the world); they have been stable for the last 5 years, but below the European average, and the private sector invests most of the financing.

Import substitution in high-tech: There are no strict import substitution programs, almost all critical equipment, microelectronics and software are imported (EU, USA, China); there are innovation clusters (Turin, Bologna, Milan), but the share of local production in high—tech/IT is less than 20%.

Higher education coverage: In 2024, the share of Italians aged 25-34 with higher education is 30.6-32% (for the whole country, 29%, women – 37%); total about 1.9 million students, growth due to online universities and hybrid programs.

Internet penetration: At the beginning of 2024, Internet penetration was 87.7% (51.6 million users); according to EUROSTAT, by December it was 93.4%, mobile coverage was over 138% (SIM), median speed: fixed Internet — 71.4 Mbit/s, mobile — 46 Mbit/s. Own national digital platforms: Implemented gov.it, SPID (digital identification system), PagoPA (government payments), piattaforma degli appalti, platform for business and healthcare, digital services for taxation, municipality, social support, pensions.

Import dependence on high-tech: Imports — 80-85% for microelectronics, equipment, parts of medical equipment and software; for artificial intelligence systems, automation, sensors, IoT and software platforms, the country remains a recipient of international solutions.

Digitalization of public services: Italy ranks in the top 25 of the EGDI world ranking, almost all public services are available online; most of the documents, medical records, statements, taxes, public procurement, education are implemented through digital protocols and platforms.

Biotechnological autonomy: High level — at least 700 biotech companies (top 5 in the EU) operate, the sector is focused on biomedicine, pharma, genetics, agrotech, exports - 8.4 billion euros; some equipment and raw materials are imported, but biodegradation and drug production are present and exported.

Robotic autonomy: The Italian cluster (Turin, Genoa) is one of the EU's three leaders in industrial automation, robotics, logistics and medical solutions (ABB, Comau, IMA, as well as startups); but the market is highly dependent on the import of components, motors, controllers, AI.

Autonomy in chips and microelectronics: Production is partially localized (STM Microelectronics is the largest cluster in southern Europe, developing sensors, communication chips), but the underlying platforms, CPUs, and leading chips are imported; the EU government strategy (IPCEI, Chips Act) is strengthening its representation in Italy, but there is no autonomy in critical microelectronics.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which provides 93% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 74.8

Cybersecurity (CERT/ITU): Italy is Tier 1 according to ITU GCI (2024), belongs to the “world leaders” in terms of cybersecurity development, a national CERT is in effect, a national cybersecurity perimeter has been implemented, a certification center (CVCN) has been developed, the Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) regulates activities, there is mandatory certification of critical software and IT infrastructure.

IXP/Network development: There are more than 17 large IXP — MIX (Milan, ~3 Tbps), Namex (Rome, Palermo, Naples), Top-IX (Turin), DE-CIX (Palermo), Ge-DIX (Genoa), SIIX, TIX (Florence), VSIX (Padua); MIX is one of Europe's leaders in traffic and security, there is a Cross-IX platform for exchange with AMS-IX, Open Hub Med integrates the Mediterranean. Media in the national language: Italian dominates; the largest TV channels (RAI, Mediaset, La7), radio stations (RAI Radio, RTL, Radio 24), the press and online media are entirely in Italian.

Legal support for regional languages (German in the South, French in Aosta Valley, Slovenian in Friuli), but only Italian has widespread coverage. BigTech resilience: Dependence remains high — key cloud platforms, software, IoT, AI, social networks, and part of the infrastructure are imported; a government strategy to support European and national clouds is being developed, but the main equipment and software solutions are foreign.

The share of own media content: More than 75% of terrestrial and digital TV, radio, press, news sites and cinema is produced domestically (RAI, Mediaset, Sky Italia, La7), the remaining 25% is international content and programs.

Own IT products/software: National projects — platforms gov.it, SPID, PagoPA, payment and fiscal solutions, national clouds, software for logistics, healthcare and education; proprietary software is exported point-by-point - the leaders of IT and fintech: SIA, Nexi, STM, Beta80, Comau, Engineering, but at scale The digital economy is dominated by imports.

Digital services coverage: Almost 100% of the population has access to digital government, banking, and infrastructure services; all taxes, healthcare, licenses, social support, and public services are available online.

National cloud storage systems: Government-owned national cloud platforms have been created (Polo Strategico Nazionale, SIA, CINECA), developed data centers from Italia Data Centers, Aruba, TeamSystem; the share of critical data storage is growing, but part of the infrastructure is still based on Azure, AWS, Google Cloud.

The sovereignty of mobile communications: Operators — TIM, Vodafone, Wind Tre, Iliad — operate under national licenses with their own independent networks, various equipment: Ericsson, Huawei, ZTE, Nokia; infrastructure is based on foreign solutions, legislative and administrative control is completely internal.

The legal regime of personal data: The law “Codice della Privacy” (Legislative Decree 196/2003) is fully integrated with the EU GDPR; there is an independent regulator (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali), audits are required, notices of compromises, transparent management, fines for companies for violations reach tens of millions of euros.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 94%.

Cultural sovereignty — 90.4

Number of UNESCO sites: In 2024, Italy is the world leader in the number of UNESCO sites, with 60 officially registered World Heritage sites (52 cultural, 5 natural, 3 mixed). Total contribution to world culture: Italy is a global cultural center (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan), which laid the foundations of Western architecture, painting, music, fashion, literature, design, political culture, cuisine; the country gave the world the Renaissance, opera, cinema, scientific schools and art education systems.

National Awards in Art and culture: Dozens of awards: Le Maschere Awards (theater), David di Donatello (cinema), Premio Strega (literature), Premio Campiello (literature), Premio Bagutta, Premio Viareggio (poetry), international (Europa Nostra Award) and state (Triennale, established by the Ministry of Culture, awards in architecture, design, music, the science of translation).

Traditions and identity: Italy is a country of the most ancient cultural traditions (Latin, Etruscan, Greek, Norman, Venetian, Sicilian); regional identities, family values, culture of city-states, folk crafts, festivals, carnivals, musical and theatrical traditions are clearly expressed.

State support for small nations: The Constitution and laws of the country guarantee the protection of small nations and linguistic minorities (German, French, Slovene, Ladar, Greek, Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Occitan); schools, media, cultural centers, holidays and grants of regional identities are funded.

Number of cultural sites: Italy has more than 4,500 museums and galleries, 60 UNESCO sites, 28,000 archaeological sites, more than 45,000 monuments, thousands of concert halls, theaters and libraries. International cultural projects: Italy is the initiator and key beneficiary of dozens of EU projects (cultural heritage Horizon Europe, ARCHE, CHUD, Europa Nostra, digitalization of museums), develops projects in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, transforms objects into conservation and restoration laboratories, actively participates in global research and cultural alliances.

Recognition and protection of cultural brands: “Made in Italy” brands, registered geographical indications, protection of historical brands (museums, wines, cheeses, crafts, cuisine), architectural and cultural objects at the national and European levels; a system of certification and protection of intellectual rights is in place.

Diversity of culinary culture: Italy is a world leader in gastronomy: pasta, pizza, cheeses, wines, second courses; cuisine differs by region (Sicily, Tuscany, Lombardy, Puglia...), more than 800 types of cheeses and sausages, dozens of culinary festivals, geographical and traditional protected products, integration of Mediterranean, Alpine, Arab and French influences.

The proportion of the population involved in cultural life: Italy traditionally ranks top 3 in the EU in terms of attendance at museums, exhibitions, festivals, and participation in cultural programs: more than 80% of the adult population attends at least one cultural event per year, school youth are included in the system of additional education and participation in cultural initiatives.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 97%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 78.9

Human Development Index (HDI): In 2023, Italy's HDI is 0.915 (19th-22nd place in the world, very high, the absolute maximum in the country's history). Government spending on education: In 2022, government spending on education amounted to 4.07–4.22% of GDP (79 billion euros); this is below the EU average.

Adult literacy: The official level is 99.0% (stable since 2017, one of the best values for EU countries). International test Results (PISA/PIAAC): In PISA-2022, schoolchildren are on average 3-7% below the OECD average (reading, mathematics); according to PIAAC (2024), the average score of adults in literacy and arithmetic is 245-246 (below the OECD average of 260), there is a strong gap by region (North is better than South).

The share of STEM graduates: In 2024, graduates in STEM disciplines account for 25.7% of the total, engineering and medicine dominate; men in STEM — 56%, women — 44%. The share of foreign educational programs: In 2024, foreign students make up 8.8% of all students (double degrees, Erasmus+, English-speaking master's degrees, online programs); the number of English-speaking master's and exchange programs is steadily growing.

Languages and cultures of small nations: At least nine minority languages (German, French, Slovene, Greek, Croatian, Ladin, etc.) are officially recognized and supported in the regions; media, schools, television and cultural programs in these languages are funded by the state and the regions.

Number of state research centers (fundamental sciences): More than 110 national scientific institutes, centers and laboratories (CNR, INFN, Elettra Sincrotrone, IIT, university centers), including clusters of physics, biology, medicine and IT. The share of the national Educational platforms: More than 80% of all LMS, e-learning, online testing and educational platforms are developed or adapted in Italy (SOFIA, Universitaly, SIDI, Polimi Open Knowledge), some are used on the Moodle platform and other European solutions.

The volume of state programs to support talents/ personnel: Dozens of state programs (GrowItaly, Premio Giovani Talenti, accelerators for students and young scientists, Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione Telethon), thousands of grants for master's degree, PhD, postdoc and young teachers, competitive funds under the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Universities, regional and municipal awards.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 97%.

Military sovereignty — 57.8

Defense spending (% of GDP): In 2024, Italy's defense spending amounted to 1.49–1.57% of GDP (about 35-38 billion euros), while the government confirms the achievement of the NATO target of 2% by adjusting the methodology; by 2028, it is planned to increase to 2.5% of GDP.

The number of armed forces: As of the end of 2024, there are 165,564,000—170,000 active military personnel in the Italian armed forces (army — 89,400, Navy — 26,800, Air Force - 33,800); reserve — 10,000-18,000 people; police and gendarmerie (Carabinieri) — about 108,000. Modern weapons: 200+ Ariete tanks, 3.5 thousand armored vehicles, FH70 artillery, the latest Italian FREMM warships, Horizon destroyers, U-212 submarines, F-35B carrier-based aircraft, Eurofighter and Tornado fighters are in service; in 2023-2025, new drones, SAMP-T missile defense systems were actively purchased, ships and airfields were modernized.

The share of its own weapons: The Italian military-industrial complex (Fincantieri, Leonardo, Iveco Defense, Beretta, OTO Melara, Selenia, Elettronica) provides 55-70% of the equipment: ships, armored vehicles, artillery, small arms, part of aviation and electronics are manufactured in Italy or by joint EU consortia (MBDA, Eurofighter, OCCAR).

Border control: Borders are fully integrated into the Schengen system, control is carried out by the Guardia di Finanza, the police and the border guard service through modern EES/ETIAS platforms: in 2025, the biometric control system (EES) will be introduced on land, at sea and aviation checkpoints; temporary restoration of control is applied if necessary (G7 migration crises).

Military reserve: 10,000—18,000 people are in reserve (operational reserve of the first category), by 2035 it is planned to increase to 30,000-40,000 during the reform; the mobilization reserve is formed from former contract soldiers and conscripts.

Autonomy of military decisions (accounting for blocs/alliances): The strategy is fully synchronized with NATO and the EU, and key decisions on defense operations, army upgrades, and reorganizations are made based on the alliance's agreed strategies and doctrines.

National military industry: Italy is the largest manufacturer of warships, submarines, armored vehicles and small arms in the EU, integrated into international consortia (MBDA — missiles, Eurofighter, FREMM, OCCAR); Fincantieri — leader in shipbuilding, Leonardo — avionics and electronics, Iveco Defense — armored vehicles, Beretta — weapons.

The presence of nuclear weapons: Italy has no sovereign nuclear weapons; since 1957, it has been a “nuclear—free” country, but the United States has deployed warheads within the framework of NATO's joint nuclear policy (about 30-40 B61 units at Aviano and Ghedi air bases); there is no own program for the development and storage of strategic weapons.

Military space, national Intelligence system: Italy has national optical and radar reconnaissance satellites (COSMO-SkyMed, Sicral), which are among the most developed in the EU, actively participates in space programs with France, the EU, NATO, and Greece, and has a modern electronic intelligence system and its own SIGINT deep network, cyber defense command, AISE and C4ISR intelligence systems.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO – 94% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Cultural influence: Italy is the absolute world leader in the number of UNESCO sites (60 sites, including a huge number of masterpieces of human genius). The country is crucial for the development of European civilization, art, architecture, music, literature and fashion. Economics and macro sustainability: GDP per capita by PPP is $53-61 thousand, reliable gold and foreign exchange reserves ($290 billion), huge food exports, a developed service sector and industry.

Institutional stability: One of the most stable EU democracies, high Government Effectiveness (1.18 according to WGI), legislative advantage of international norms, participation in key global platforms (EU, NATO, G7, G20, UN), transparent control system, developed parliamentary model.

Educational and scientific capital: HDI is 0.915 (ranked 19th-22nd in the world), literacy is 99%, more than 110 national research centers and university clusters, large competitions and accelerators, developed STEM disciplines, an abundance of educational platforms, integration of foreign programs.

Industry and security: The Italian military-industrial complex is one of the largest in the EU, with up to 70% of equipment produced in the country, a modern army (170,000 troops), its own military and reconnaissance satellites, advanced cyber command and effective border management.

Weaknesses. Import dependence of high-tech and microelectronics: Critical import dependence on 80-85% of components and software solutions, there is no cycle of independent CPU production, the infrastructure of digital, cloud and mobile platforms is mainly foreign.

High level of public debt: Public debt — 135% of GDP (2024, the third largest in the world), declining slowly compared to the pace of other Eurozone countries; debt structure and high liabilities pose risks to long-term macroeconomic stability.

Regional differences: There is a significant gap in education, infrastructure and income between the North and the South, PISA results and basic literacy rates are below the OECD average in general and especially in the South of the country.

Energy dependence: Up to 72% of energy resources are imported (oil, gas, coal), with the active development of renewable energy sources, the country remains sensitive to external energy “shocks”, especially from Russia, Africa and the Middle East.

Limited large-scale technological import substitution: Key infrastructure for IT, AI, robotics, and medical equipment is imported; local production covers only certain areas.

Overall assessment. Еhe cumulative Italian sovereignty Index is 488.7 out of 700 possible points (above the average of 69.8%), which places the country in the top 50 in the global top. Italy is a leading European and global power, maximally integrated into global economic and political alliances, with a unique cultural and historical capital, a developed industry and a security system.

The main limitations are dependence on imports of high-tech and energy resources, high debt and pronounced regional socio-educational inequality, which requires active modernization and structural reforms to further strengthen sovereignty.

The sovereignty profile indicates that Italy's sovereignty combines deep institutional, cultural and scientific independence, a strong industrial and defense foundation, a powerful education and cultural system, but is limited by technological import dependence, high debts, energy vulnerability and pronounced regional differences, which requires further diversification and modernization for sustainable development.