On Wednesday, Nino Minardo, chair of the Lower House Defense Committee (Lega/Pfe), announced that starting 8 July, government and opposition parties will work jointly on a unified draft law to create a voluntary auxiliary reserve. The goal is to enlist trained former service members who can be swiftly mobilized in case of emergency.
The Austrian model is seen as a reference point: Vienna maintains a force of up to 35,000 reservists, who are legally required to undergo 30 days of annual training for at least five years, with employer approval.
Italy currently fields around 160,000 active military personnel – fewer than France, Germany, or Poland, but more than Spain or Greece. In March, Chief of Defense Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone called the figure “still insufficient”, warning that “even with 170,000, we’re operating at the edge of survival”. He added: “I’ll keep asking for more troops until they kick me out.”
According to the national budget law, Italy’s defense spending is projected to reach 1.57% of GDP in 2025. However, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently stated that the country would reach NATO’s 2% target as early as this year. Yet, analysts indicate that this figure is based on a broader interpretation of military expenditure – one that includes not only the core defense budget, but also funding for overseas missions, military pensions, and other related items.
