The Italian Way of Counterterrorism: From a Consolidated Experience to an Integrated Approach

Italy has a long history of struggle against terrorism. At least since the mid-1970s, it has developed a national counterterrorism (CT) strategy, combining a range of different tactics and tools. Over the decades Italy has had to respond to many forms of violence: ethno-nationalist, right-wing, left-wing, anarchist, and jihadist. It is worth noting that right-wing, left-wing, and anarchist terrorism represented an indigenous phenomenon, even if many of these armed groups had significant connections abroad. On the contrary, ethno-nationalistic terrorism in the 1960s was perceived as inspired and supported by foreign forces, and jihadist terrorism is now a transnational threat. This chapter outlines the evolution of Italy’s CT policy, from a social science perspective. It distinguishes two major phases. In the first phase (from the 1960s to the 1980s), during the time of the so-called First Republic at the national level and the Cold War at the international level, the country dealt with separatist violent incidents and, above all, with a long and intense campaign of right-wing and left-wing terrorism, during the Anni di piombo (Years of Lead). In the second phase (from the 1990s to the present day), at the time of the Second Republic and in the post-Cold War era, Italy has had to face new challenges, especially from jihadist extremism.