While France struggles to mount a firm political response to waves of violence and destruction in its streets, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has chosen to act fast: within 48 hours of a weekend of riots, her government approved a series of dramatic measures designed to impose harsher penalties on rioters.
"To demonstrate is a right; to destroy our cities is not," Meloni declared, making clear that as far as her government is concerned, violence cannot hide behind freedom of protest.
The new laws include:
- Up to five years in prison and a fine of up to €20,000 for anyone who merely participates in violence during a demonstration involving at least five people, without proof of damage
- Harsher penalties in cases of concealing one's face or causing injuries
- A requirement that those who cause property damage compensate victims
- Parental liability for compensation when the rioter is a minor, including the possibility of seizing family assets to pay for damages
- Expansion of preventive administrative detention to apply to minors as well
- Deployment of 500 additional soldiers in Milan through December 31
The measures come after a particularly difficult weekend in Italy, during which nearly 200 police officers were injured in violent incidents. In Milan alone, damage was estimated at around one million euros.
Meloni left no room for doubt as to her position: "To destroy and to steal, that is not a demonstration, that is crime."
France continues to grapple with incidents of violence and destruction, including an arson attack on the town hall in Limoges. Faced with difficult images, the political response in Paris still does not display the same resolve shown by Meloni's government.
The gap between the two countries is stark: in Italy, the government seeks to deter rioters through prison sentences, fines and financial liability; in France, the question that remains open is when a firm political response will finally show that violence and destruction have real consequences.
