Least of the great powers

"Least of the great powers" is a label used to conceptualize Italy's status as a borderline great power. The concept originated with the unification of the country in the late 19th century, when the newly established Kingdom of Italy was invited into the great power system, a promotion from the middle power status of its predecessor Piedmont-Sardinia. However, the Italian military, colonial and industrial output, while too significant to be ignored, could not rival that of the rest of the great powers. In the 21st century, Italy is part of great power concerts such as the EU trio, the NATO Quint, the G7 and various International Contact Groups. Italy is also one of the world's major economies, one of the UN's core financial supporters, the leading nation of the Uniting for Consensus, and leads in shipping services, air transport, and industrial development. Similar terms used by academics to describe Italy's role in global affairs include "awkward great power", "intermittent major power", and "small great power".

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