Reports: Italy wants to increase its army

Rome: According to media reports, Italy wants to increase its professional army by up to 40,000 men and women. Accordingly, the armed forces of the EU and NATO member state are to consist of around 135,000 men and women in future.

According to the newspapers “La Repubblica” and “La Stampa” as well as the news agency Ansa, this is the result of a new national security plan that is currently being worked on at the instruction of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

The plan is Italy’s response to the international upheaval. In this way, gaps in personnel that have arisen in recent years are to be closed, according to the reports. The years 2030 to 2033 were named as the time frame for the increase.

The money for financing could come from the recently presented EU program for Europe’s rearmament. There was initially no official comment on this.

Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italy is one of the countries supporting Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression. At the same time, the right-wing head of government is considered one of US President Donald Trump’s preferred contacts in Europe.