Former Italian Prime Minister and leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), Giuseppe Conte, launched a scathing attack on PM Giorgia Meloni’s government over a controversial amendment to the Infrastructure Decree that would accelerate and classify defence procurement procedures.
In a fiery social media statement, Conte accused the government of creating “preferential lanes reserved for those who produce and profit from weapons” while leaving citizens with “dilapidated hospital lanes.”
What we read today in the press is disturbing: faster purchases, with fewer checks and classified for weapons. This would be the goal of an amendment to the Infrastructure Decree. We say it straight to the Government: rethink and stop.
The amendment in question seeks to streamline the tender process for military supplies, reducing bureaucratic checks and allowing greater classification of procurement details. Conte condemned this approach as establishing a “feeding trough away from prying eyes, all to the benefit of the lords of weapons, various lobbies, and supporting investment funds”.
His criticism highlights the government’s apparent prioritisation of defence spending over public services, citing the stalled implementation of a decree on hospital waiting lists, delayed for over a year, alongside prolonged inaction on the minimum wage and short workweek legislation.
Strategic context and political backlash
The proposed changes come amid significant European pressure to increase defence capabilities. The European Commission’s “ReArm EU” plan aims to unlock up to €800 billion for military spending across member states, an initiative Conte had previously condemned as a “total waste of money” that benefits arms manufacturers rather than establishing a “serious common defence project.”
Italy’s defence market, valued at approximately €30.3 billion annually, represents a substantial procurement sector involving major contractors including Leonardo, Fincantieri, and MBDA. The government currently manages over 100 active defence tenders ranging from naval vessels to ammunition and advanced electronic systems.
Conte’s statement underscores a fundamental conflict in Italian and European politics: the tension between rearmament pressures following the outbreak of war in Ukraine and domestic demands for better public services and economic support.
Italy remains heavily reliant on EU recovery funds, having secured €209 billion in grants and loans from the Next Generation EU package negotiated by Conte himself in 2020 to address the COVID-19 recession. The Five Star Movement argues these resources should prioritise healthcare, social welfare, and sustainable economic innovation rather than being diverted towards defence contracts.
