Russia could attempt to interfere in Italy’s next general election, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani warned on Wednesday, saying action was needed early to protect Europe’s democracies.
Speaking as he arrived for an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, Tajani said the threat was not limited to Italy and that Russia could seek to influence elections across the European Union.
“I do not rule out attempts by the Russian Federation to interfere in the democratic life of European Union countries,” Tajani said, warning of attempts to influence voters through what he described as “reprehensible activity”.
He said Italy needed to remain vigilant and take preventative measures rather than wait for an attack to happen. “I’m convinced it could happen, which is why we need to intervene early,” he said.
Italy already facing Russian cyberattacks
Tajani pointed to previous cyberattacks as evidence that Russia had already targeted Italian institutions.
He said the Foreign Ministry had been subjected to attacks from Russian hackers, including an incident involving its website when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first visited Italy. Tajani recalled being at Ciampino Airport to welcome Zelensky when the attack took place.
“There are precedents,” he said, adding that Italy was monitoring the situation to ensure its democratic institutions remained protected.
The Foreign Ministry has also been reorganised to strengthen its response to security threats. Since January 1, a new directorate has been responsible for political and operational security, while a 24-hour operations room has been established to respond to cyberattacks targeting Italy’s diplomatic missions and the ministry itself.
Tajani stressed that Italy is not at war with Russia but said this did not mean it could ignore attempts to interfere in its democratic processes.
Tajani cautious on frozen Russian assets
The foreign minister was also asked about calls to confiscate frozen Russian assets and use the money to support Ukraine. Tajani said Italy was not opposed to using the assets in principle, but warned that there were significant legal questions surrounding such a move.
“We’re not opposed in principle, but we need to see if there are the legal positions to do so,” he said.
The issue has been discussed repeatedly by the EU and in other international forums, but no decision has been reached because of the potential legal difficulties, Tajani said. He emphasised that the obstacle was legal rather than political, with Italy continuing to assess whether the frozen Russian funds could lawfully be used to support Ukraine.
