The Italian cabinet has reportedly approved the deployment of 500 troops to Milan alongside stricter legal penalties in an aggressive bid to suppress cost-of-living protests in the country's north that escalated into violent clashes over the weekend. The newly endorsed measures include a specific legal offense for violent demonstration participation, harsher punishments for rioters, and financial liabilities for parents whose children engage in looting and vandalism.

According to the Italian Ministry of Defence, the military will supposedly help reinforce security at vital sites and step up surveillance. Widespread unrest swept northern cities, notably the financial hub of Milan, where groups of predominantly young people smashed storefronts and fought police amid mounting public anger over soaring fuel costs, high rents, depressed wages, and crumbling public services. The newly enacted legal framework dictates that individuals participating in groups of at least five who endanger public safety face up to five years imprisonment and fines reaching €20,000. Authorities are also granted expanded powers to detain youths aged 14 to 17 preemptively if deemed a threat, alongside immediate financial accountability imposed on parents for minors' actions.

However, media reports indicate that the cabinet allegedly failed to grant soldiers full policing powers due to resistance from President Sergio Mattarella. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asserted on social media that destruction and theft constitute criminal acts rather than legitimate protests, demanding an uncompromising state response.

These domestic disturbances mirror severe turmoil in neighboring France, while compounding pressure on Meloni's administration from separate blockades staged by truck drivers in southern Italy over surging diesel prices—creating profound political vulnerabilities ahead of the 2027 national elections.

Source: www.aljazeera.com