Almost one third of Italians believe their country will be directly involved in a war in the next five years, but only 16% of those fit for combat would be willing to take up arms and join the defense, according to a survey by the Center for Social Investment Studies (CENSIS) released on Friday.
What the survey showed:
- 39% of Italians aged 18 to 45 declare themselves convinced pacifists;
- 19% would try to evade conscription through other means;
- 26% would prefer Italy to hire foreign mercenaries.
After years of increasing geopolitical tensions and two ongoing wars in neighboring countries, Ukraine and the Middle East, Italy has joined other NATO countries in a commitment to increase spending on national defense, Reuters reports.
However, most Italians remain skeptical of rearmament:
- only 26% believe that military deterrence is a good way to ensure peace;
- only 25% support increasing military budgets, especially if it means reducing social spending;
- only 11% would like the country to possess nuclear weapons.
Despite a 46% increase in defense spending over the past decade, per capita spending on defense in Italy remains relatively low at $586, according to the survey. This figure is comparable to $686 in Greece and over $2,000 in countries like the United States or Norway.
To ensure Italy's security, 49% of Italians are in favor of strengthening NATO, while 58% would like to see an integrated defense system of the European Union, with a single army, under unified command and with common arms procurement.
Another survey published last month by the European Council on Foreign Relations showed that only 17% of Italians support increasing defense spending, the lowest proportion among the 12 European countries surveyed.