The trick with Italian foreign policy has always been to strike a balance between Europeanism and Atlanticism; between the voters' deep-felt commitment to European unity and their feelings for a country, the United States, that freed them from Nazi occupation, shielded them from Soviet encroachment and has also offered a new life to millions of their compatriots. Until 2003, this balance was quite easy to strike. Being a fervent European did not rule out being a loyal ally of America. But the war in Iraq created a starker choice. Just how stark is becoming clearer in the campaign for Italy's general election next month.
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