Milan, 30 July (LaPresse) – “We are faced with a form of madness that perfectly illustrates this government’s arms race. They have signed the ‘promissory note’ that Trump demanded to reach 5 per cent of GDP in NATO spending, and now they are preparing to increase military spending even further. Meanwhile, the country is in desperate need of massive investment elsewhere: from healthcare to education, right through to wages, which are losing purchasing power due to inflation.” Nicola Fratoianni of AVS made this statement in an interview with *Quotidiano Nazionale* regarding the SAFE funds. “We are opposed to any increase in costs. Continuing down this path,” continues the Red-Green leader, “is the wrong choice from an economic, political and defence perspective. The government continues to play a shell game, but has not yet explained how it intends to reach 5 per cent of GDP in military spending over the next 10 years. And the confusion of recent hours confirms this.” “It is the idea that arming oneself helps to avert dangers, conflicts and wars that is wrong. History shows us that whenever the arms race accelerates, conflicts and instability also increase. In any case, the point is not whether SAFE rates are more or less favourable: do they want to use SAFE because it offers better rates and is linked to European defence? Let them do so, but on one condition: those funds must replace the sums in the state budget currently earmarked for the increase in Italian military spending,” he concludes.
Safe Funds, Fratoianni: ‘Arming oneself is madness; it fuels conflicts’
Milan, 30 July (LaPresse) – “We are faced with a form of madness that perfectly illustrates this government’s arms race. They have signed the ‘promissory note’ that Trump demanded to reach 5 per cent of GDP in NATO spending, and now they are preparing to increase military spending even further. Meanwhile, the country is in desperate need of massive investment elsewhere: from healthcare to education, right through to wages, which are losing purchasing power due to inflation.” Nicola Fratoianni of AVS made this statement in an interview with *Quotidiano Nazionale* regarding the SAFE funds. “We are opposed to any increase in costs. Continuing down this path,” continues the Red-Green leader, “is the wrong choice from an economic, political and defence perspective. The government continues to play a shell game, but has not yet explained how it intends to reach 5 per cent of GDP in military spending over the next 10 years. And the confusion of recent hours confirms this.” “It is the idea that arming oneself helps to avert dangers, conflicts and wars that is wrong. History shows us that whenever the arms race accelerates, conflicts and instability also increase. In any case, the point is not whether SAFE rates are more or less favourable: do they want to use SAFE because it offers better rates and is linked to European defence? Let them do so, but on one condition: those funds must replace the sums in the state budget currently earmarked for the increase in Italian military spending,” he concludes.
