Dr. Stefano Braghiroli Awarded the Order of the Star of Italy

The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies is proud to announce that Dr. Stefano Braghiroli, Associate Professor of European Studies, has been awarded the Order of the Star of Italy (Ordine della Stella d’Italia), rank of Knight (Cavaliere), conferred by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The award was presented by the Ambassador of Italy to Estonia, Stefano Catani, during the official celebration of the Festa della Repubblica (Italy’s National Holiday) held on 2 June at the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn.

The Order of the Star of Italy is the second-highest civilian honour of the Italian State, established in 1947, as the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, and reformed in 2011. It recognises individuals - Italian citizens abroad or foreigners - who have made significant contributions to strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries, and who have promoted cultural and academic ties with Italy. The award is conferred by the President of the Republic upon proposal by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the motivation for the award, Ambassador Catani highlighted Dr. Braghiroli’s role in:

• Explaining Italy’s political system and role within the Estonian and Baltic context,
• Presenting Estonian priorities and perspectives to Italian audiences,
• Building academic bridges between Italian and Estonian institutions through research, education, and collaboration,
• Fostering media presence and dialogue in both countries.

Dr. Braghiroli expressed deep gratitude for the recognition, stating: “I am truly humbled by this honour and by what it represents. It is a strong motivation to continue working on building bridges between Estonia and Italy through education and research. I am deeply grateful to President Mattarella for this recognition, as well as to the Italian Embassy in Estonia, especially Ambassador Stefano Catani and Deputy Head of Mission Davide Montani, for their trust and support. I am also extremely thankful to the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies that has always represented for me a wonderful incubator of ideas and inspiring minds.”

For more information about the Order of the Star of Italy, please visit the website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic.