The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, assured this Friday that Italian authorities are vigilant and ready to act in response to a potential attempt by Russia to interfere in the general elections held in Italy in 2027. Meloni stated that the executive is "always fully committed to guaranteeing the security of this nation in all respects" and that it is monitoring all situations that warrant concern.
Meloni's statements came on the day she became the longest-serving head of Government in the history of the Italian Republic. On Wednesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, had warned that Moscow may attempt to influence the outcome of next year's Italian legislative elections, not excluding "attempts by the Russian Federation to interfere in the democratic life of European Union countries".
Tajani stressed that there are precedents of Russian interference attempts and that timely intervention is necessary, noting that Italian authorities have been preparing for this potential scenario for quite some time. The Italian foreign minister considered it necessary to be vigilant and "prevent such actions by a country with which we are not at war".
Italy's Department of Security Intelligence (DIS) confirmed on Thursday that measures have been taken to protect the 2027 legislative elections, in the face of a threat that, it emphasized, "concerns not only Italy, but all countries that will hold elections in 2026 and 2027". The Director General of the DIS, Vittorio Rizzi, stated that, following the recommendations of COPASIR, a series of measures has been implemented to protect the freedom of the democratic electoral process.
