The issue of security continues to generate tensions and divisions within the governing coalition regarding the future of the "Strade Sicure" operation. At the center of the political debate is, on one hand, the League's strong push to enhance military presence in Italian cities; on the other, the cautious and reformist line of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who brakes on purely scenographic uses of the Armed Forces, recalling the intention already expressed in recent months to gradually reduce the Army contingent deployed in improper tasks.

The League's proposal and political clash

Through a resolution submitted to Parliament (with first signatory Eugenio Zoffili), the League has decisively called for 10,000 Army units to be deployed in securing stations, squares, and provincial capitals, estimating an annual investment of approximately 109 million euros. According to the party led by Matteo Salvini, the measure would prove essential to cover as many as 61 provincial capitals currently lacking armed garrisons, representing a direct and immediate response to petty crime.

Crosetto's firm response: no more "aesthetic" interventions

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto's response was not long in coming. Through a public statement on social media, Crosetto rejected requests for a purely scenographic use of military uniforms, warning against superficial initiatives:

"Do they want to deploy military personnel right away? Fine, but not for purely 'aesthetic' reasons, to show some camouflage on the street. If they want them to be operational and, as some are asking, if special forces are wanted in high-risk areas of cities, alongside police forces, then make it legally possible. So rather than a resolution, let's accelerate the Defense reorganization plan and insert the regulations deemed useful to combat an increasingly odious criminality," the minister stated.

Crosetto's position reflects fundamental consistency: in recent months, the Defense Minister had already attempted to correct and reduce the scope of "Strade Sicure," emphasizing the need to return military personnel to their original institutional functions and missions, rather than diverting them from training and international commitments.

Legal constraints and Defense strategy

The divergence within the executive also stems from rigid regulatory constraints governing the operation. Military personnel engaged in "Strade Sicure," while acting with the qualification of public security agents, do not have the judicial police powers necessary to independently carry out arrests or investigations.

For this reason, the Defense Ministry's strategic line aims to overcome the structural deployment of the Army in public order – especially in light of the complex international geopolitical scenario – favoring a gradual handover to traditional police forces.