Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte critiсised incumbent Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, accusing it of hypocrisy over workers’ rights while pushing for increased military expenditure at the expense of social welfare.
The leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S) took to social media to denounce what he called a “dangerous and irresponsible” shift in policy priorities. Conte highlighted the stark contrast between the government’s treatment of workers and its own ministers.
The Head of State raises the alarm about excessively low wages, but Meloni only increases salaries for ministers, while cutting up to 100 euros from workers’ paychecks.
The former PM criticised the government’s rejection of a minimum wage proposal, arguing that it showed disregard for struggling families. His comments come amid growing discontent over Italy’s cost-of-living crisis, with recent data showing real wages failing to keep pace with inflation. Conte warned that the government’s recent Rearmament Plan could divert citizens’ savings towards “funding arms lobbies.”
In a second post, Conte turned his fire on Italy’s role in what he called the dismantling of European stability. He accused Meloni of complicity in Germany’s move to bypass EU budget constraints for military spending, warning it would “tear apart” the single market’s economic balance.
The Meloni Government has taken on a grave historical responsibility, signing off on the end of the Europe of peace built over these years. Just a short while ago, Germany announced the activation of the clause and the related request to Brussels to go beyond the European budget constraints for weapons and new military spending.
The M5S leader contrasted this with Meloni’s 2023 Franco-German agreement imposing austerity on healthcare, education and infrastructure.
A disaster to the detriment of citizens: they [Meloni administration] will answer to history for this dangerous strategy of rearmament at the expense of people’s rights and economic and social emergencies. Dangerous and irresponsible!
Conte’s intervention signals a hardening opposition stance as Italy’s government faces mounting scrutiny over its economic and defence policies.
