George Maloney. Photo: Ukrinform.
The Italian government, led by Giorgi Maloni, found itself at the centre of an international scandal when it became known that it had attempted to support Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad at the end of his rule. This caused outrage both in Europe and in other parts of the world, as Italy, one of the G7 countries, resumed diplomatic relations with the Assad regime after a long break. In particular, during the closed-door talks, Italian intelligence chief Giovanni Cabarelli discussed support for the Syrian government, despite international criticism of the atrocities committed by the Assad regime. This was reported by Time Ukraine Israel, citing Cursorinfo.
Secret negotiations and diplomatic manoeuvres
One of the most high-profile moments of this scandal was the publication of documents containing a recording of a telephone conversation between Giovanni Cabarelli and Hussam Louki, the head of the Syrian security service, which took place a few days before the final fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. In the conversation, Cabarelli reaffirmed Italy’s support for the Syrian government and expressed his readiness to support Russian airstrikes against rebel positions, which was further evidence of the close ties between Italy and Syria, despite international criticism of Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.
“General Cabarelli called me and stressed the importance of Italy’s support at this difficult time for Syria,” Hussam Louki said in the leaked notes.
Restoration of diplomatic relations and controversial steps by the government
In the summer of 2024, Italy became the first country among the G7 to open its embassy in Damascus, restoring diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime after more than a decade of interruption. Official Rome emphasised that this would help resolve the issue of Syrian refugees arriving in Italy and help stabilise the situation in the region. However, the move caused considerable outrage among critics, who accused Meloni’s government of condoning Assad’s atrocities and supporting the authoritarian regime.
This policy has caused outrage in many European countries, in particular among those who support Ukraine in its war with Russia, as it contradicts the principles of democracy and human rights on which the EU’s foreign policy is based.
Implications for Italy and further political perspectives
After the fall of the Assad regime, on 8 December 2024, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tiani announced that rebels had seized the Italian embassy in Damascus, but that the diplomatic staff remained safe. Nevertheless, Italy continued to support the restoration of diplomatic relations with Syria, which underscored the strategic importance of this policy for Italy’s foreign strategy, particularly in migration and security issues.
The scandal could seriously call into question the reputation of the Meloni government in the international arena, but the government believes that such steps are part of a pragmatic policy aimed at stability in the Mediterranean. At the same time, critics believe that this policy contradicts the values upheld by the democratic world and jeopardises Italy’s international image.
