Defense: Italy Focuses on Reservists to Strengthen National Security

On July 8, 2025, the Defense Committee in the Chamber of Deputies will open discussions on a significant reform of the Italian military system: the establishment of a voluntary military reserve. The project, promoted by the center-right but open to dialogue with the opposition, stems from the growing awareness of the challenges posed by the international context, particularly the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

The most advanced proposal is presented by Nino Minardo, the Lega president of the Defense Committee, with bill no. 1702, accompanied by a similar initiative signed by Stefano Graziano (PD). The common goal is to create a pool of 10,000 reservists to be employed in emergencies, such as wars, international crises, or declarations of a state of emergency by the Council of Ministers.

The novelty is not entirely unprecedented: the previous government had already approved a delegation law on the subject, which remained unimplemented. Now the aim is for a unified text, shared between the majority and the opposition, capable of filling a regulatory and operational gap in the national defense system.

Who Can Apply and How the Reservist System Will Work

According to the Minardo text, the military reserve will consist of Italian citizens already discharged who have served in the Armed Forces as volunteers with a three-year term (VFT) or initial term volunteers (VFI). Participation will be on a voluntary basis, with an initial commitment of five years, renewable.

Reservists will not be simple “ex-military on a list”: they must ensure availability, undergo annual psychophysical checks, and attend training and refresher courses for at least two weeks a year. The goal is to maintain a prepared, trained, and rapidly deployable force.

The system is inspired by the Austrian model, where reservists are required to undergo 30 days of annual training for five years, with an annual compensation of about 6,000 euros. In Italy, a similar figure is hypothesized, useful as an economic and symbolic incentive to attract discharged ex-military personnel.

A particularly important point concerns the labor rights of reservists: the job position will be guaranteed for those recalled, who will be reintegrated, as much as possible, into the weapon and role previously held. This is a fundamental protection for those who decide to offer their service to the State again.

Defense, Security, and Citizenship: Implications and Prospects of the Project

The project of a military reserve represents a strategic step towards a more flexible and resilient defense model, already adopted in several European democracies such as Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In an increasingly unstable world, characterized by hybrid threats, environmental emergencies, and geopolitical crises, having a trained, reliable, and immediately recallable contingent becomes a structural necessity.

Currently, the Italian Armed Forces count about 100,000 professional soldiers, with a percentage of under 30s not exceeding a third of the total. This data, combined with the need to contain defense costs and enhance already acquired skills, makes the military reserve a particularly interesting tool.

In case of mobilization, reservists can be recalled for quarterly periods, renewable until the emergency ceases. It is therefore not an occasional intervention, but a true integrated element in the national defense structure.

Beyond the military and organizational aspects, this proposal also represents a valuable opportunity on the civic and cultural level. Establishing a voluntary military reserve means strengthening the bond between citizens and institutions, valuing the experience of those who have already served the country and offering them a new space for active engagement. It is a concrete way to build a more participatory, modern, and socially connected defense.