Speakers

Lucio Caracciolo (Editor-in-chief, Limes): The debate on America's role in the world
Federico Petroni (U.S. analyst and coordinator, the Limes School of Geopolitics): The historical and cultural roots of the American identity crisis

LIMES

Limes, an Italian magazine of geopolitics directed by Lucio Caracciolo, was founded by him in 1993 and has now established itself as one of the most influential and authoritative places of geopolitical reflection in Europe.

The founding date is already significant in itself: Limes was born immediately after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, in a phase of extraordinary geopolitical changes in Europe and the world.

Unlike other geopolitical journals, Limes relies on the intersection of very different skills and approaches. In fact, scholars (historians, geographers, sociologists, political scientists, jurists, anthropologists, etc.) but also decision-makers (politicians, diplomats, military, entrepreneurs, managers, etc.) collaborate in an open exchange of opinions and fruitful contamination of approaches.

Except for openly racist opinions, as such are聽opposed to an open and equal debate, all political and geopolitical ideas have full access to the magazine.

In fact, it is based on the conflicting confrontation of different or even opposing geopolitical representations and projects. The essential thing is that they are attributable to conflicts of power in space (terrestrial, maritime, aerial) and are, therefore, cartographable.

The use of geopolitical maps is therefore essential to develop the comparison, and on Limes cartography abounds.

Limes is a 300-page bimonthly review. Every issue is dedicated to one topic, which is developed through news analysis, round tables, and interviews. 聽

All the articles are provided with maps to explain what the different positions and territorial claims of all parties are. Limes does not support any political party in Italian domestic politics. It is aimed at providing elements to discuss the central issues of our times and of the Italian international presence, from the Atlantic Alliance to the European Union, from the Mediterranean space to new policies towards eastern European countries, without neglecting Italian domestic problems.聽

Limes organize debates, round tables and other initiatives throughout the country and sometimes abroad to present every new issue to the press and to the public opinion.聽

On the meaning of geopolitics, Limes holds,聽"To us, it is not a science, it is a way of reasoning and聽of discussing things over. Far from sticking to a mere geographical determinism, we always address specific cases, taking into consideration the power relations on the ground and never ruling out any option or solution, not even the most extreme ones.聽The notion of geopolitics also makes us understand how countries or separatist movements relate themselves to their territory and how this can lead them to the creation of national identities."