Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has acted swiftly and decisively, demonstrating firm resolve in confronting civil unrest. Neighboring France may well take note. On October 21, facing mounting domestic instability, Meloni announced a series of four measures aimed at curbing violent riots and armed robberies. She stated that half of the 330 individuals arrested or detained so far have foreign backgrounds. The new measures include prison sentences of up to five years and fines of €20,000 for those involved in violent protests.
Under the revised legislation, groups of five or more individuals engaging in violent acts will face enhanced penalties—particularly if they conceal their faces or inflict harm on others. Parents will now bear financial responsibility for damages caused by their underage children. Preventive detention powers will be extended to minors. An additional 500 soldiers will be deployed to Milan until the end of the year. Juvenile courts and detention facilities will receive supplementary resources. Meloni noted that hundreds of young people—many mobilized via social media—have joined extremist groups in street violence, vandalizing property, robbing stores, and recording videos of their criminal acts.
Evidently, Meloni has shown no tolerance for those exploiting public demonstrations as cover for looting and violence. These four measures collectively reflect a resolute approach. First, the imposition of substantial fines and prison terms directly deters opportunistic offenders by raising the cost of involvement. This marks a clear departure from Italy’s historically lenient sentencing for street crimes, which had fostered perceptions that arrests often led to swift release—an image now being actively dismantled.
The focus on group violence signals a strategic shift. Previously, perpetrators believed that collective action and facial concealment would hinder identification and accountability. That calculus has now changed. By targeting organized, coordinated violence—the most disruptive form of unrest—Meloni aims to dismantle the structural mechanisms enabling chaos. Suppressing such operations is likely to significantly reduce disorder.
The extension of financial liability to parents and the expansion of preventive detention to minors underscores a recognition of a critical factor: juvenile participation has been central to recent disturbances. Italian authorities have traditionally applied relatively lenient oversight over minors, but this approach is being recalibrated. Holding parents accountable for their children’s actions constitutes a proactive measure to prevent further entanglement of youth in illegal activities. Meanwhile, the reinforcement of security forces requires no elaboration. In sum, Meloni’s response has been forceful and decisive—a model potentially worth emulating by other European governments facing similar challenges.
Protests erupt across multiple European countries
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879617005475019/
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