Rome. “The pro-Russian threats and the reward for information about my family? We have been monitoring the situation for two days. Since 1 January, we have overhauled the Ministry, establishing a Directorate-general and a cyber operations room that runs around the clock and is connected to the National Cybersecurity Agency. It was also visited by the German and Czech Foreign Ministers, Wadephul and Macinka, and held up as a model. I already have the highest level of security protection, and we are on maximum alert.” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is among the main targets of a cyber network linked to pro-Russian circles that is willing to pay for confidential information about Russia’s “enemies”. Minister Tajani has no hesitation in linking this escalation to Italy’s firm support for Ukraine.
Minister Tajani, when did you learn of this direct threat?
“The Ministry’s Directorate-general brought it to my attention. When President Zelensky came to Rome, there was a major attack on the Foreign Ministry’s website, which we repelled. Now the threat is escalating, targeting our loved ones. But our cyber defences are operational, and we are ready to respond to any attempted intrusion.”
This operation is linked to the Ukraine issue. Do you intend to summon the Russian Ambassador?
“Until there is firm evidence, we need to proceed cautiously, working with the intelligence services and the Postal Police. But the nature of hybrid warfare is clear: we are dealing with shadowy networks conducting illegal operations. Ahead of the forthcoming elections, there will be a systematic attempt to influence public opinion and divide Europeans through disinformation. Italian citizens are astute, but we need to remain extremely vigilant. This is a problem with which we have to contend.”
Do we need to get used to living with these threats? Is this only the beginning?
“The attacks are starting to become very severe. It is not just about hacking, but about targeting cables, industrial secrets, hospitals and critical infrastructure. That is the reason why I will raise the issue at Monday’s G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and I have already written to my French counterpart. The Russians will not wage a conventional war against us: the threat comes from all directions and needs to be addressed through collective awareness.”
Minister Crosetto has called for security to become a national priority. Do the opposition parties understand what is at stake?
“I have been saying this for some time: investing in security does not make you a warmonger. The left-wing parties fall into a familiar contradiction: they demand security and the protection of services, but then protest whenever money needs to be spent on defence and cybersecurity. How do they expect to protect the country without adequate tools? Faced with real threats and direct attacks on institutions, political parties should be united, rather than divided over necessary spending.”
Meanwhile, Stefano Bonaccini has posted a digitally altered image of you wearing Trump’s MAGA cap, mocking Forza Italia’s stance.
“I have called for artificial intelligence to be kept out of election campaign. Using it to manipulate reality and support a false claim fuels disinformation. Apparently, that is what they taught at the Italian Communist Party’s school. Satire is fine, but ridiculing and undermining someone who represents the country internationally, at the very moment when such a fierce cyberattack against our institutions is under way, is a serious matter. I hope the left-wing parties understand that when Italy is under attack, what is needed is responsibility and a willingness to work to defend the national interest, rather than political point-scoring.”
