CoWaP Research Group’s Manifesto
The research group aims to explore the origin, nature, institutional allocation, and current scope of the so-called constitutional war powers, with a focus on three main areas: the Italian legal system, the supranational context, and a comparative perspective.
The obsolescence of formal declarations of war, the evolution of modern conflicts, and the transformations of international and European law have long raised largely unresolved interpretative questions. Among these are: the contemporary meaning of constitutional clauses affirming a principle of neutrality, pacifism, or alignment; the constitutional limits on the power to deploy armed forces in conflict situations; the balance between the protection of national and international security and the safeguarding of fundamental rights and freedoms; the role of oversight bodies in regulating and controlling the use of military force; the importance of strengthening parliamentary authorization powers regarding the use of force, including the establishment of effective mechanisms for democratic control over executive action; the problem of the so-called “war on terrorism”; and the evolution of armed conflict from a technological perspective (drone warfare, cyber warfare, autonomous weapons systems, etc.).
The research group adopts an interdisciplinary approach and seeks to analyze the constitutional implications of warfare from multiple perspectives, including both diachronic and multilevel approaches.
Among the current and pressing issues recently addressed by the group are the unresolved question of a common European defense (in light of the 2025 Rearm Europe Plan) and other challenges arising from the Russia–Ukraine war, the conflict in the Middle East, and the growing instability of the international order.
In an effort to contribute to the development of a solid and informed culture of Peace, the Group aims to provide an analysis of the phenomena under consideration that is as neutral and objective as possible.
Matteo Frau
Full Professor in Comparative Law - University of Brescia
