Abstract. In the article, the evolution of Europeanism and Atlanticism in Italy's foreign policy is examined.  While assessing the formation of the European focus area in Italy's foreign policy after the collapse of bipolarity, it must be acknowledged that this process which had a distinct framework that no Italian government had gone beyond, was yet under a firm pressure of two approaches. In particular, the struggle between the adherents of the European idea, or a strong united Europe, and the Eurosceptics who strived to strengthen Italy's international positions by means of straddling not only between the EU and the U.S., but also between the EU, the U.S and Russia, determined the essence of the country's foreign policy in particular temporal rounds.