Who’s in Taiwan right now: Alessandro Cattaneo leads the delegation and includes Roberto Traversi, Simona Flavia Malpezzi, Vanessa Cattoi, Fabrizio Benzoni, Emanuele Loperfido, and Gerolamo Cangiano.
- The group brings together lawmakers from six different political parties, spanning both governing majority parties and minority parties.
Why it matters: A bipartisan delegation sends a stronger institutional signal than a one-sided visit. It suggests that support for Taiwan and concern for stability in the Taiwan Strait enjoy broad backing within the Italian Parliament, regardless of who is in power.
The strategic context: Taiwanese officials emphasised that:
- European security and Indo-Pacific stability are increasingly interconnected.
- European parliamentary engagement on Taiwan is more relevant than ever amid rising regional tensions.
- They also highlighted the growing depth of Italy–Taiwan cooperation, not only in culture and education but increasingly in advanced technology and industry.
What the Italians are saying: The delegation described the visit as a reflection of shared democratic values.
- Lawmakers stressed their interest in deepening cooperation on trade, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, research, and academic exchange.
- Several members emphasised their intention to maintain Taiwan Strait stability firmly on the Italian parliamentary agenda, regardless of future changes in government.
On the ground. During the visit, the delegation is meeting senior Taiwanese officials and lawmakers and touring key innovation hubs, including:
- Major research institutes;
- High-tech industrial clusters;
- Advanced facilities focused on semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
The goal is to gain a clearer understanding of Taiwan’s technological ecosystem and identify concrete areas for long-term cooperation.
The bottom line: Italy’s message is obvious: support for Taiwan in the Italian Parliament is bipartisan, durable, and strategic.
- That makes this visit less about symbolism — and more about signalling sustained political alignment between Italy and Taiwan at a time of growing geopolitical pressure in the Indo-Pacific.
(Photo: MOFA Taiwan)
