«Very Helpful and Effective». Cossiga–Thatcher Entente During the 1980 Italian Presidency of the European Council

In a complicated international scenario, the Italian-British bilateral relations lived a renewed partnership based on the mutual understanding between the Italian President of the Council Francesco Cossiga and the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The European question was the main topic of their meetings, Mrs. Thatcher was determined to close a good deal for her Country and Mr. Cossiga wanted to make a satisfying compromise for the whole Community, mostly because he was aware that the impasse was slowing down the integration of the Community itself. Italian Presidency had to unravel multiple strategies and proposals from London, Paris, Bonn, and the Commission, in an internal struggle that was slowing down the Community. Cossiga and Thatcher were conscious that the URSS was taking advantage of the European weakness in international relations, mostly because the European Community, at that time, had not a common foreign policy nor a strong internal policy as well.

La signora Thatcher era determinata a raggiungere un buon accordo per il suo Paese, mentre Cossiga temeva che l’impasse avrebbe finito col rallentare il processo d’integrazione tra gli Stati membri, e pertanto aspirava a trovare un compromesso ragionevole per la Comunità intera. La presidenza italiana dovette districarsi tra le diverse strategie di Londra, Parigi, Bonn e della Commissione. Ma come Cossiga anche la Thatcher era consapevole che l’Unione Sovietica si sarebbe avvantaggiata delle debolezze di Comunità priva tanto di una politica estera unitaria quanto di una forte politica interna.