Government passes security decree after Milan riots

The Council of Ministers met on Tuesday at Palazzo Chigi to adopt a security decree, convened after the weekend disorders in Milan. The measure introduces the offence of aggravated damage and mandatory arrest for the offences of devastation committed during demonstrations, with the possibility of proceeding to delayed arrest within 48 hours of the events.

The decision comes shortly after the clashes that affected the city in the preceding days. The Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, intervened, describing the violence as unacceptable and calling for an “intelligent and in-depth analysis” of what occurred, without commenting on the content of the decree.

On the parliamentary front, the opposition harshly criticized the government’s initiative. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle, called for a halt to a new security decree, accusing the executive of inertia on the economic front: “Summit at Palazzo Chigi. For economic measures against price rises? No way, zero” he stated, contrasting the speed of the security response with the slowness on other issues.

The text of the decree focuses on the repressive tools available to law enforcement during public demonstrations: the introduction of a specific offence for aggravated damage is accompanied by the possibility of proceeding with arrest even hours after the episode, a tool the government presents as necessary to prosecute those responsible for devastation during marches.

The measure fits into a broader political confrontation between the majority and the opposition, who for weeks have been clashing both on the issue of public order and on that of economic measures against the cost of living. The opposition, in particular, accuses the government of having given priority to the penal response over economic support measures, an issue that remains open in parliamentary debate.

The Council of Ministers has not, at this time, provided any indication of the timeline for converting the decree into law, nor of any expected amendments during the parliamentary passage. The text approved on Tuesday remains for now the government’s only formal act in response to the events in Milan.