Meloni's Ethiopia Visit Firms up Italy's Africa Plans

Why It Matters

The initiative could reshape European energy supply chains and boost Italy’s influence in Africa, but limited funding risks undermining its strategic goals.

Key Takeaways

• Meloni promotes Italy's Mattei Plan as operational reality
• Eni commits €24bn to North African energy projects
• Italy seeks energy hub role, reducing migration pressures
• Critics say financial commitments lag behind geopolitical ambitions
• European rivals outpace Italy in Africa's strategic influence

Pulse Analysis

Italy’s renewed focus on Africa, crystallized at the Italy‑Africa summit in Addis Ababa, reflects a strategic pivot toward energy security and migration management. The Mattei Plan, first announced in early 2024, envisions a network of pipelines delivering natural gas and emerging hydrogen from North African producers to European markets, positioning Italy as a transit hub. By framing the plan as a "new chapter" of trust‑based cooperation, Meloni seeks to attract both public and private investment while signaling to EU partners a proactive role in diversifying energy sources.

The commercial backbone of the strategy rests on Eni’s aggressive capital deployment. The company’s €24 billion commitment across Algeria, Libya and Egypt underscores Italy’s intent to secure upstream assets and downstream infrastructure, including LNG facilities in Mozambique. While energy remains the core pillar, the Mattei Plan now references ancillary sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, education and healthcare, aiming to broaden its development footprint. Nonetheless, scholars warn that the financial outlay remains modest relative to the geopolitical narrative, raising doubts about the plan’s scalability and long‑term sustainability.

Italy’s ambitions unfold amid a crowded contest for African influence, where China’s financing muscle, France’s historic security ties, and the United States’ strategic partnerships dominate. Lacking comparable fiscal depth, Italy must leverage EU mechanisms and deliver consistent project pipelines to maintain credibility. Success could enhance Italy’s bargaining power within the EU’s external energy policy and provide a template for other mid‑sized powers seeking footholds in Africa. Conversely, failure to match rhetoric with tangible investment may relegate Italy to a peripheral role, limiting its ability to shape the continent’s energy future and migration dynamics.