After the European leaders have welcomed the plan “Rearm Europe“By Ursula von der Leyen during the last extraordinary council, Italy is also evaluating the opportunity to strengthen its military skills. In particular, with the enrollment of soldiers, who according to the first estimates would be between 30 and 40 thousand.
The government plan
While the premier faces the divisions within his majority regarding the 800 billion plan Proposed by Von der Leyen, within the majority there is a significant increase in military personnel. The new military lymph would increase the national defensive capacity of a third, reaching this 135 thousand unit. The Defense General Staff would be working on these objectives, with the intention of forming new soldiers within a period of five to eight years.
It is a long-term planning (the strengthening plan provides for a five to eight period of time), which, according to the forecasts, could lead in about ten years to fill the gap created due to the disengagement of the last governments. The necessary times do not depend only on the training of staff, but also on the need to restore the supply chains, to ensure that the system works at full speed.
How Italy is placed with the Rearm Europe plan
In view of the European Council of 20-21 March, the government will have to find an internal agreement on the resolution to be presented in Parliament. At the moment, the positions of the allies on the defense and the rearmament seem very distant, with Tajani who continues to support the adhesion to the European block, while Salvini remains against the Rearm Europe plan.
Tuesday 11 March, Meloni will participate in the summit summoned by Volodymyr Zelensy, which brings together the so -called “willing“, That is, the countries that intend to send soldiers to Ukraine once peace is reached. Italy, as specified on Friday, will not be part of the coalition, but will participate as a simple observer. The Chief of Staff of Defense, Luciano Portolano, will be present in Paris without an official political mandate. According to government sources, “goes as an observer, for a note. It does not represent a turning point of the Italian government “.
The following day, the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, will fly to Paris for a meeting of the defense ministers convened by the French Sébastien Lecornu, in which colleagues from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Poland will also participate. However, at the moment, the position of the Italian government onSending troops Kiev remains unchanged; No soldier will be sent to Ukraine.
How much Italy spends for defense
Like many other European countries, Italy also face the new strategic scenario that emerged with the arrival of Donald Trump to the White House and its disengagement proposals from the European defense. Germany, Great Britain and France are planning increases in the expense militaryto be financed through various channels, including the increase in debt, the taxation on the most wealthy classes and the cuts to public spending.
The European Union includes an 800 billion dollar plan to finance the rearmament of the member countries. However, for Italy, a country with a high public debt and a strong tax burden, the road appears difficult. Increase the expense for defense at 2% of the GDP would imply about 10 billion euros per year In addition. In recent days, the Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, expressed prudence regarding the possibility of significant increases in the military budget.
