Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is doubling down on his opposition to Europe’s rearmament push, publicly questioning whether Russia represents a threat to European countries and calling for direct negotiations with Moscow.
Form X: Conte, now one of Italy’s main opposition leaders, said in post on X his political movement would continue to fight what he called the “mad logic of rearmament” and the rhetoric surrounding it.
- The remarks offer a clear view of a strand of Italy’s opposition that rejects the rationale behind higher military spending and challenges the assessment of Russia as a security threat to Europe.
What he’s saying: “Have you seen what an uproar? In Italy, all it takes is to question the billions being thrown away on the rearmament race to become the target of attacks from all directions,” Conte said.
- “I confirm it: I do not think that the number one threat to Italians is Russia’s willingness to invade us and that, therefore, our emergency is to throw mountains of billions into a frantic rearmament race.”
Conte said Italy faces other, more immediate threats. “I am worried about other threats. The collapse in wages compared with 2021, energy costs that are driving companies to ruin, the 130 million hours of authorized wage-support schemes, which have increased in just two years, hospital waiting lines, the record number of people living in absolute poverty.”
- To reinforce his argument over spending priorities, Conte also pointed to comments by Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina about poverty, public debt and the debate over increasing military expenditure.
The Russia question. Conte then directly challenged the assessment of Russia as a threat to European countries, arguing that economic interests are helping fuel it.
- “As for the Russian threat to European countries, which the powerful industrial and financial sectors that profit economically from it have an interest in increasingly fueling, one can read the assessment of NATO commander Grynkewich, according to whom ‘Russia is not seeking a conflict,’” Conte said.
- He made clear that his political movement would continue to oppose higher military spending. “My political community and I will continue to oppose the mad logic of rearmament and all the rhetoric that accompanies it, in the service of interests that are very far removed from the real interests of citizens.”
Conte said a common European defense would offer an alternative. “On this front, it would be enough to build a common European defense to achieve considerable savings in military spending.”
- But he put particular emphasis on reopening diplomacy with Moscow, calling for the appointment of a European envoy to negotiate with Russia.
- “Above all, we should not waste time in appointing — two months have now passed and we still do not have a name — a European delegate to negotiate with Russia, given that diplomacy costs nothing and history teaches us that it is effective, far more than rearmament, in ensuring us a future of peace and genuine security.”
- “Everyone should come to terms with it,” Conte concluded.
A history with Moscow Conte’s latest remarks also come with a political precedent from his time as prime minister.
In March 2020, during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, Conte’s government accepted the Russian mission known as “From Russia with Love.”
- The operation began after a phone call between Conte and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirteen Ilyushin aircraft landed at the Pratica di Mare military airport carrying a 104-person Russian contingent, including 32 doctors and nurses, with the rest of the delegation made up of military personnel.
- Some members of Conte’s own government later said they had not been involved in the decision-making process.
The bottom line: Conte’s latest statement is not limited to questioning the cost or pace of higher defense spending.
- He is publicly rejecting the idea that Russia represents a primary threat to Italy and Europe, accusing economic interests of fueling that threat assessment, opposing the rearmament push and calling instead for negotiations with Moscow.
- Coming from a former prime minister and the leader of a major opposition force — and against the backdrop of his government’s controversial handling of the 2020 Russian mission to Italy — the remarks highlight the persistence of a political current in Italy that remains deeply skeptical of the security rationale driving Europe’s stronger defense posture and transatlantic alignment.
