Thousands Protest EU's €800B Rearmament Plan in Rome, Led by the Five Star Movement & Ex-PM Conte Against Militarization Push. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni supports the EU’s ReArm plan.
- Wolfgang Lieberknecht
- vor 2 Tagen
- 2 Min. Lesezeit
Thousands marched in Rome to protest the EU’s proposed €800 billion military rearmament plan, led by Italy’s Five Star Movement and its leader, former PM Giuseppe Conte. Protesters condemned cuts to healthcare, education, and labor in favor of militarization. Conte declared the protest as the birth of an alternative Italy that rejects defense overspending. Videos from the scene show crowds chanting and waving banners like “No to rearmament.” Italian PM Giorgia Meloni supports the EU’s ReArm plan, but faces internal coalition friction. The protest signals growing dissent across Europe.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Rome on Saturday in response to the Five Star Movement’s call to protest the European Union’s rearmament plan.
“Unexpected numbers, beyond all expectations,” commented the organisers of the demonstration, which began at Piazza Vittorio and made its way to the Fori Imperiali. According to sources within the Five Star Movement, attendance could reach 100,000.
Conte: 'A firm no to the 800 billion to rearm Europe.'
“Today comes a strong and clear no to the squandering of 800 billion to rearm Europe, a folly,” Conte said and added: “Giorgia Meloni approved Europe’s rearmament plan without any mandate, and this is another failure of her government that will remain in history.”
“I am happy that the main opposition forces are present today because today we are laying a solid pillar to the construction of a government alternative. The Meloni government has sold out Italy to the needs of Germany on a project that will further disintegrate Europe and this is another failure of hers.” The demonstration was attended by members of the Green-Left Alliance and a delegation from the Democratic Party, including the leader of the Dem senators Francesco Boccia.
“We are here today because here is a piece of opposition to the right-wing government that has isolated us in Europe, which has no strategy to react to the tariffs other than hoping to go with hat in hand to deal with Trump. And together with all the oppositions, we want to send home the government of Giorgia Meloni and Salvini,” Boccia said. PD secretary Elly Schlein did not attend the rally, because she reportedly did not agree on everything but only on some points. The centrist parties Azione and Italia Viva were also missing.
Also on the stage in Via dei Fori Imperiale were 5-Star Movement Vice-President Paola Taverna and former Chamber President Roberto Fico. “This is our square. It is the square of our identity and our pride. With democracy we build peace. Today we oppose the wicked policy of rearmament. It is throwing away the future of us all. Being here means resisting and building.”
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