Italy at war? Who would be called to battle?

Italy up war? Who would be called to battle? Hypothetical questions, but increasingly common after the last escalation of the conflict Ukraine. Especially since in Germanycompanies have already drawn up a plan in case of war, according to the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

What happens during an attack

According to the NATO treaty, if Italy were attacked, the other members of the Atlantic Pact would be obliged to intervene in its defense.

Article 11

The eleventh article of the Constitution enshrines the renunciation of war “as an instrument of insulting other peoples and as a means of settling international disputes.” Meanwhile, Article 78 stipulates that it is up to the Houses to decide on the state of war and to grant the necessary powers to the government.

Who is called to battle

In the event of a conflict, the armed forces would be the first to intervene: the army, navy and air force, the carabinieri and the financial guardians.

Then former military personnel who left the service less than five years ago.

And citizens? If the uniformed personnel were not enough, they would have to resort to them. But only if the number of soldiers is too small. In such a case, citizens aged 18 to 45 who are declared fit for military service on the basis of the medical examinations provided for military service, can be called into battle..

How the call is made

The call would be made through the so-called conscription lists, on which all male citizens who have reached the age of 17 are registered. Thus, all male citizens in the age category from the completion of the 18th year to the age of 45 could be called up to fight.

The Italian Armed Forces

The army can currently count on a force of 99,457 units, of which 94,026 are military personnel (94.5%) and 5,431 are civilians (5.5%). In particular, the female military component reached 9% of the total strength of the army by 2023, showing a gradual increase in leadership positions and mid-to-high ranks in various categories, as recommended by the ‘IV National Inter-Ministerial Action Plan for Women’ . , Peace and Security (2020-24). These are the figures from the 2023 report.

The rejection of the call

Can someone reject the call? What’s happening? Here you should read Article 52 of the Constitution. For which “The defense of the homeland is a sacred duty of the citizen. Military service is mandatory within the limits and in the manners established by law. Its fulfillment does not prejudice the employment position of the citizen nor the exercise of political rights.”

Conscription

In our country, compulsory military service was suspended by law 23 August 2004, n. 226 (the so-called Martino law). But not permanently eliminated. It could come back into force with a decree from the President of the Republic if the necessary number of military personnel is not reached. Refusal is a crime.

Who is excluded

The excluded? The categories considered essential for the services they provide: firefighters, prison police, local police.

The costs

What should also not be overlooked are the effects that compulsory military service would have on the national economy. In Italy there are no estimates, but in Germany the Ifo Institute in Munich calculated last July what could happen if there was a new call to arms. If military service were mandatory for an entire age group, economic output would fall by 1.6%, which amounts to 70 billion euros. A lower figure, about 17 billion, would be the estimate of the decline if only a quarter of those eligible were drafted into the armed forces. Finally, if a model similar to the Swedish model were adopted, with military service being performed by approximately 5% of young people of conscription age, the cost would be €3 billion.