A shield against the Lavrov camp

There is a passage in the speech delivered by Giorgia Meloni in the Senate on Wednesday that may well have been overlooked amidst the various motions, yet which reveals something interesting about Italy and its relationship with Russia. The Prime Minister has expressed openness to the proposal for a ‘democratic shield’, put forward by Azione, to protect elections from interference by hostile powers. This is by no means a minor development. We have known for years that Russia seeks to influence European democracies, using propaganda, disinformation, fake-account factories and manipulation – all made even easier today by artificial intelligence. Yet, when it comes to moving from mere condemnation to actually putting defences in place, politicians often prefer to look the other way.

This time, things might turn out differently. After more than a year of inaction, the proposal put forward by Marco Lombardo and Calenda is set to begin its passage through the Senate’s Constitutional Affairs Committee, perhaps as early as Tuesday. The committee chair, Andrea De Priamo of Fratelli d’Italia, is expected to act as rapporteur, with Lombardo as co-rapporteur. Among the first witnesses to be heard would be Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano. This would send a significant political signal: the government and the opposition jointly recognising that the defence of national sovereignty also depends on the ability to prevent other countries from manipulating the views of Italian voters.

Naturally, a ‘democratic shield’ must serve to counter foreign interference, not to censor unwelcome opinions. But precisely for this reason, it will be interesting to see who tries to obstruct it and on what grounds. And it will be interesting to see how many of those who denounce alleged restrictions on sovereignty on a daily basis will be prepared to defend it when Moscow is the one threatening it. The ‘Lavrov camp’ certainly exists. But the alternative, thanks in part to the work on the ‘democratic shield’, could prove stronger. Provided that words are backed up by action.