Rome - Italy is preparing for a new phase in its military strategy. The Defence General Staff is developing an ambitious plan to strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces, with the recruitment of 40,000 new reservists ready to intervene in emergency situations and to feed a possible high-intensity war effort.
A choice dictated by the need to close a numerical and operational gap that has put the national defence system under pressure in recent years. "The size of the Armed Forces is set by a law. I have no problem saying, as I have said several times, that that model is now inadequate and must be changed,' said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
Currently, the personnel of the Italian armed forces stands at around 160,000 between the Army, Navy and Air Force, plus over 100,000 Carabinieri. Numbers that, according to military experts, would not be sufficient to guarantee the security of the country in complex scenarios and protracted conflicts.
General Masiello: 'We need reserves ready to be deployed'
The Chief of Staff of the Army also raised the alarm, General Carmine Masiellowhich estimated that at least 40-45,000 units are missing to ensure the full operability of the ground forces. "The Army has a duty to prepare itself for any eventuality, precisely in order to cope with the worst scenarios and to avoid being found unprepared," said Masiello during a hearing at the Defence Commission.
The general emphasised that the current size of the workforce does not guarantee 'the mass required to cope with a possible high-intensity conflict, which requires the ability to feed and regenerate forces deployed in combat'. For this reason, the project being developed envisages the creation of a 'pool of readily deployable reserve forces', capable of supporting the Army and other defence components in case of need.
A new phase for European defence
The Italian plan is part of a broader context, that of a new phase for European defence. In fact, this week sees the E5 summits - Poland, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom - meeting in Paris to discuss the future of continental security. At the centre of the talks is the possibility of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine and investment in common defence, also in the light of the 'ReArm' plan announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Precisely on this occasion, Italy will reiterate its readiness to participate in a peacekeeping mission only under a UN mandate, as clarified again by Minister Crosetto.
But the real challenge concerns the structural strengthening of the military capabilities of the individual EU member states. "The Army," explained Masiello, "must be ready to regenerate its forces and support the efforts required by new crisis and conflict scenarios. We cannot afford to be found unprepared'.
A paradigm shift in European security
The geopolitical situation, marked by instability and uncertainty, imposes long-term strategic choices. The Italian decision to recruit 40,000 reservists is not only a response to domestic operational needs, but also a contribution to strengthening Europe's collective security.
The Paris Summits could mark the beginning of a new season for European defence: more integrated, better funded and ready to face the challenges of the present and the future.
