With a new mobilization, he will be heard again this Friday in Italia he discomfort against the planned increase of military spending of the Government of Giorgia Melonias well as against other measures of rearmament of the European Union (EU) and of the I’LL TAKE. Called by unions and leftist movements, the protesters demand that these policies be paralyzed, which, they say, could bring the Italian welfare system to its knees.
The mobilization, which is expected to last throughout the day and which is mainly affecting the transport sector, is also against the latest budget law and against Meloni’s promise to the American president, Donald Trumpto bring military spending to 5% of GDP in the next decade. For this reason, in addition to crossing their arms this Friday, the organizers of the protest have also announced a march in Rome for this Saturday to denounce what they consider “the militaristic drift” of Meloni’s right-wing coalition.
“This Government promises us a budget law that will take money away from healthcareto services, to education and to an industrial plan that increases employment and wages,” criticized the Base Trade Union Union (USB), one of the organizers of the strike. “Money that, magically, is being allocated to rearmament objectives promoted by [la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, [Ursula] von der Leyen”, they added. This protest is also against the “war economy and the diversion of resources from social spending to rearmament”, the Cobas union has pointed out.
Palestine
Despite the absence of the country’s major unions – a circumstance that will probably mean that the strike will not be as massive as previous ones – it is expected that the mobilization will have strength in strategic sectors such as heavy industry and the port, where more leftist unions, such as USB, have a broad presence. Furthermore, this union has recently gained relevance by having been the organizer of the massive demonstrations against the Israeli offensive in Gaza in September and October.
In fact, this Friday’s strike also includes the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is requestedspecifically, that the country interrupts relations with Israel and apply a total military embargosomething that has not happened until now. They also demand that stop sending weapons to Ukrainewhile criticism increases in Italy over the most recent corruption scandal that has shaken kyiv.
Record increase
The truth is that, despite the fact that Italy historically has a population that – according to polls – is mostly opposed to war and rearmament, the current Government of Meloni has increased spending military at record levels, according to experts. For example, according to the Milex observatory, an independent think tank that monitors military spending, the total planned for 2026 by the Budget Law is 32,398 million euros in technology and military equipmentwith a net increase of more than 1,100 million euros (+3.52%) compared to the 2025 spending forecasts. This represents a growth of around 45% in almost a decade, since in 2017 that spending was 23,377 million.
Furthermore, observers also They have rejected the argument of the Meloni Government that investments in this sector will increase employmentwhich is basically because this industry is highly automated. This Friday’s mobilization also coincides with another protest, by the media, protesting the lack of investments in the sector.
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