More powers to the Secret Service: the new face of national security

With the approval of Article 31 of the Security Bill by the Senate's Constitutional Affairs and Justice Committees, the Italian government takes an important step towards strengthening the secret service. This long-awaited measure aims to make the country more resilient against the threats of terrorism, organised crime and new global risks. The text, promoted by the executive led by Giorgia Meloni, intervenes on the 2007 law regulating the secret services, strengthening their powers and establishing compulsory collaboration between public administrations, publicly-owned companies, universities and research bodies. The objective is clear: to build an efficient and capillary protection network capable of responding promptly to emergency situations and prevent threats to national security.

Synergetic collaboration between institutions and intelligence services

The new rule obliges public administrations and subsidiaries to cooperate with the DIS, theAISE and theAISIproviding information and technical and logistical assistance, even in derogation of confidentiality regulations. This choice aims to overcome the bureaucratic constraints that, in the past, could hinder intelligence activities, making it more difficult to intervene in time to prevent crimes and attacks. The possibility of entering into agreements with research bodies and universities further strengthens this cooperation, laying the foundations for a modern and integrated defence system, capable of exploiting the country's scientific and technological expertise. This is not just a matter of data collection, but of a collective commitment to national security, in which each actor, public or private, has a leading role.

Special Operations: clear rules to deal with the most serious threats

Article 31 also stabilises so-called 'excusable conduct', which has already been successfully tested since 2015. Agents of the security intelligence services will be able to be authorised to perform actions that, under normal conditions, would be considered crimes. We are talking about infiltration into subversive associations, terrorist groups and armed gangs, up to the direction of such organisations, when necessary to unmask and neutralise them from within. A practice used by leading Western democracies to ensure national security. The regulation also provides for the possibility for officers to detain sensitive materials and to carry out actions aimed at countering international terrorism or preventing crimes against humanity. It is a measure that strengthens the operational capacity of the services, enabling them to act in complex contexts without the risk of being restricted by regulatory loopholes.

Transparency and democratic control: constitutional guarantees

Nonostante l’ampliamento dei poteri concessi ai servizi segreti, il controllo democratico resta saldo. Il COPASIR continuerà a vigilare sull’operato del DIS, dell’AISE e dell’AISI, assicurando che ogni attività sia svolta nel rispetto delle leggi e dei principi costituzionali. Il governo e la maggioranza hanno ribadito che si tratta di una riforma necessaria per proteggere il Paese da minacce concrete e attuali, e che l’equilibrio tra sicurezza e diritti individuali sarà sempre mantenuto. Come affermato dal senatore Maurizio Gasparri, “l’Italia ha bisogno di questi strumenti per difendersi in un mondo sempre più insidioso”. L’approvazione definitiva dell’articolo 31 aprirà una nuova fase per l’intelligence italiana, rendendola più forte, reattiva ed efficace, senza mai rinunciare ai principi della democrazia e della libertà.