Defence reform, Crosetto writes to Mattarella: 'In cdm by March, I hope for constant confrontation'
On 20 January, the Defence Minister sent a letter to the President of the Republic, who, according to the Constitution, is the head of the Armed Forces: 'I hope for maximum sharing and constant confrontation between all the institutional and operational components, in the conviction that only through dialogue can a solid and shared project be built,' Crosetto wrote
by Andrea Carli
Key points
The text of the law on defence reform will reach the Council of Ministers by March. This is what is stated in a letter sent by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella on 20 January. In the document, which Il Sole 24 Ore was able to consult, the minister summarises the path that will culminate in the measure. Mattarella is, according to Article 87 of the Constitution, head of the Armed Forces.
Text of the bill in the Cdm by March 2026
'I will submit the text of the bill for consideration by the Council of Ministers by March 2026,' the letter reads, 'so as to allow for a timely commencement of parliamentary consideration which, I hope, can take place with the depth and speed that the contexts in which we live require.
L’iter
In his letter to Mattarella he reiterates the procedure that will lead to reform. The indications are those that the Defence chief provided at the question time in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday 28 January. "I have launched a formal initiative, tasking a Strategic Committee to work on a defence reform bill. The objective is to present Parliament with a clear proposal, built on the real needs of the country'. "The work," Crosetto explains, "will focus on operational capabilities, simplification of procedures, and personnel organisation, including areas such as the reserve forces and the cyber security, essential elements to strengthen the resilience and operational protection of the national defence system.
Involvement of the Armed Forces
Crosetto emphasises that 'the Armed Forces are and will be involved at all stages, because the proposal must be born from operational experience'.
The request: tight schedule
The minister goes on to explain: 'I have asked for the work (of the Committee, ed.) to proceed at a sustained pace, in the awareness that the international context requires quick decisions and clear choices. In this context,' Crosetto added, 'I hope for maximum sharing and constant comparison between all the institutional and operational components, in the conviction that only through dialogue can we build a solid and shared project'
