Summit countdown. Ahead of the NATO summit on 24–26 June in The Hague, on Thursday, Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto welcomed a cross‑party delegation to brief them on the meeting during which leaders are expected to agree on new defence‑spending targets.
- MPs from the Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle, M5S), led by former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, and Greens & Left Alliance (Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra, AVS) declined Crosetto’s invitation, arguing that a lunch cannot substitute for a formal parliamentary debate on massive arms purchases.
- Members of the Democratic Party, the main opposition party to the right-wing government headed by Giorgia Meloni, attended the event.
“Uncivil” boycott. The meeting was proposed by MP Lorenzo Cesa, chairman of the Italian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
- Crosetto criticised the no‑show as “uncivil” and “disrespectful to our institutions”—insisting the meeting was about the Parliament‑government dialogue, not partisan advantage.
- Peppe De Cristofaro, AVS leader in the Chamber, hit back: “Rearmament is the uncivil act.”
- M5S vice‑chair Chiara Appendino added that the government prefers guns over schools and hospitals.
Cross-party criticism. Even the Democratic Party—whose MPs did attend today’s meeting at the Defence Ministry—joined the chorus of disapproval for the boycott.
- In an interview with our sister website Formiche, Senator Alberto Losacco called it “a mistake,” urging all opposition groups to engage on NATO issues in the proper parliamentary forums.
- This incident highlights how Italian opposition parties often prioritise partisan rivalries over the national interest.
- It also lays bare the deep divisions within the anti‑Meloni left, undermining their ability to form a unified front.
Rallies in Rome and The Hague. A demonstration against the proposed “European rearmament” will take place in Rome on Saturday, 21 July, organised by a broad coalition of social movements, trade unions, and political organisations.
- Both M5S and AVS have pledged to participate, while the Democratic Party will remain officially absent—though a handful of its members intend to join in a personal capacity.
- On Thursday, M5S leader Conte called for a counter-NATO gathering in The Hague on the same days of the summit, inviting European leaders who oppose rearmament to the Dutch parliament, where the Dutch Socialist Party will host them.
- Asked if his party will join, AVS leader Angelo Bonelli was cautious: “We will already be demonstrating together on Saturday”, but “the more initiatives we build against rearmament, the better.”
5% target talks. NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte proposes a 3.5% direct defence spend plus 1.5% for dual‑use infrastructure to meet the US demand for a 5% GDP target.
- Italy, via Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, insists it needs a decade and annual flexibility to reach that level—“we’re committed, but we need time and room to manoeuvre.”
