Italy: Criticism of the arms shipment to Kyiv

The war in Ukraine is causing instability within the Italian government, as the Five Star Movement openly challenges the line of Prime Minister Draghi.

The senators of the Five Star movement are calling for an end to the shipment of weapons to the Ukrainian forces because “otherwise the whole effort to de-escalate the tension may be jeopardized”. The whole issue is taking on even greater weight, because on Tuesday the Italian technocratic prime minister will inform the parliament of Rome about the overall line of the government for the Ukrainian. Soon after, the seven pro-government political forces will have to approve or reject Draghi’s stance and the whole strategy.

For a long time now, both the Lega and the Five Stars have been critical of Rome’s arms shipment, insisting that virtually exclusive emphasis should be placed on diplomatic initiatives. They do not want to be identified with the positions of the center-left and center-left, Berlusconi Forza Italia, and they are trying to achieve this by intervening and objecting to foreign policy.

The possibility of a government crisis

However, the Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, former leader of the “five stars”, takes clear distances from this position. He asks that Italy not be differentiated from the common line of NATO members, because at this stage it would be dangerous.

Is Mario Draghi therefore in danger of facing an immediate government crisis? It is hard to believe that ballot boxes can be set up for early elections at the end of July, at a time when the energy and economic crisis is creating significant problems in Italy as well. It is most likely to find some – albeit temporary – last-minute compromise, at least with most members of the Five Star Movement. Which, of course, now looks like an unmanned ship. It is clear, however, that despite the summer season, tensions within the broad-based government are set to remain very high.

Theodoros Andreadis-Siggelakis, Rome

Source: Deutsche Welle