Meloni blasts university over Army course rejection

A moment of broad, common-sense alignment emerged in Italy after the University of Bologna refused to activate a philosophy program for a small group of young Army officers — a decision government and opposition figures alike described as ideologically driven and strategically short-sighted.

The dispute touches on a broader theme that resonates internationally: how liberal democracies balance academic autonomy, civil–military relations, and the need for armed forces trained to navigate complex geopolitical environments.

Driving the news: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Carmine Masiello revealed that Italy’s oldest university declined his request to enrol 10–15 young officers in a tailored philosophy track.

He said the goal was to strengthen “lateral thinking” and help future commanders “step outside stereotypes” — but the university allegedly feared a “militarisation” of the faculty.
Masiello called the refusal “surprising and disappointing”, framing it as symptomatic of “how far we still need to go before the public — especially younger generations — understands the role of the armed forces.”

The political response: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued today the sharpest institutional reaction, calling the decision “an incomprehensible and gravely mistaken act,” adding that an academic centre devoted to pluralism “has a constitutional duty to welcome and value every path of cultural advancement, free from ideological prejudice.”

She argues that enriching officers’ training with the humanities is a strategic asset for Italy’s security posture, especially given the international contexts in which they operate.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto elevated the point, saying those officers “will still be ready to defend” the very professors who rejected them — a remark aimed at highlighting the asymmetry between academic suspicion and military service.

A bipartisan angle: Piero Fassino of the Democratic Party echoed the government’s criticism.

He described the refusal as “a sad and desolating confirmation” of an academia “increasingly inclined toward ideological battles” instead of knowledge-building.

The takeaway: Political Italy — from the governing right to part of the centre-left — views the decision as a missed opportunity for civil-military dialogue and for strengthening the intellectual foundations of the country’s armed forces.