National Security Can’t Be Entrusted to Musk, Says Fratoianni

Rome: Italian Left (SI) and Green Left Alliance (AVS) leader Nicola Fratoianni stated on Monday that Italian national security cannot be entrusted to Elon Musk. This statement comes amid reports, denied by Premier Giorgia Meloni, suggesting that the SpaceX owner has reached an agreement to manage Italy’s telecoms security systems through his Starlink satellite program.

According to Ansa News Agency, Fratoianni expressed concerns over Italy engaging in negotiations or exclusive discussions with Musk’s company. He stated that entrusting the military security of Italy to a private company owned by one of the world’s most powerful and wealthy individuals could be a significant mistake. Fratoianni also noted that Musk is considered a close advisor to the future US president and has been involved with the extreme right in European countries.

Fratoianni emphasized that the independence and security of Italy are at stake, along with industrial concerns. He argued that assigning such responsibilities to Musk would further privatize Italy’s network and communication infrastructures, especially following the sale of the Telecom network to the American fund KKR. This move, according to Fratoianni, contradicts Premier Meloni’s earlier promises to prioritize the creation of an Italian cloud to protect sensitive data from digital capitalists.

Fratoianni concluded by stating that Meloni’s actions contradict her inauguration speech in Parliament and that this inconsistency threatens national security and democracy. He called for immediate clarification in Parliament regarding the situation.