The Agreement on The Port of Misrata Is The Mirror of Italy’s Policy in Libya

The $2.7 billion agreement for the expansion of the Port of Misrata is more than a major infrastructure project: it reflects Italy’s current strategy in a Libya still marked by institutional fragmentation and geopolitical competition.

In the post-2011 context, international influence in Libya is exercised less through direct territorial control and increasingly through energy, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships. Within this evolving landscape, Italy continues to play a central role, drawing on historical ties, long-standing energy cooperation, and the capacity to mobilise major industrial actors, including within the framework of the Mattei Plan.

Yet in a political system shaped by rival authorities, contested legitimacy, and entrenched rentier dynamics, economic initiatives risk consolidating existing power structures rather than fostering genuine national reconciliation. The Misrata case therefore raises a broader question for Italy and Europe: can economic statecraft substitute for inclusive political mediation?

The analysis by Mattia Giampaolo argues that without structural reforms and a credible process of institutional unification, international investment alone is unlikely to generate durable stability.