For international cooperation to return to the center of Italy's political agenda, stakeholders in the sector must engage with what remains of the parties of the Second Republic and compel them to address the issue. As the system functions, both technical and political governments can operate only through the consent of Parliament. One thing that has united both the center-right and center-left in recent years is their shared neglect of the problem of international cooperation. Italy can no longer afford the luxury of perpetuating this inward-looking attitude. Instead, it should return to being a driving force for the outward expression of civilization in the world through plans that promote humanity.

There should be a political debate on the issue—not between those who no longer want to engage and those who do not know how, but between those who want to do so solely through public resources and those who advocate for an increasing involvement of private resources. Engaging in cooperation is not just a civic duty but a strategic obligation for our country. I believe we should not limit ourselves to merely respecting international commitments but should aim higher, allocating 5% of the national GDP for international development aid—80 billion euros annually concretely allocated to multilateral, bilateral, and non-governmental aid.

This amount would position Italy as a leader in global soft power, making a beneficial impact in both development issues and emergency responses. The funds should be equitably distributed across major spending categories: 75% for direct implementation costs, 7% for research, 7% for infrastructure, 7% for training, 3% for monitoring and evaluation, and 1% for visibility and communication. To mobilize Italy, we must first engage the Italians. And for this, we need politics.