Brussels – More than 6,000 schools across Italy received emails today (11 November) containing false bomb threats, leading to evacuations and checks by the police. “A figure set to rise,” according to the Minister for Education, Giuseppe Valditara, who, at a press briefing in Brussels – where he was attending the event “I T4LENTI DEL FUT2RO” at the European Parliament – spoke of a “possible broader strategy” behind the incidents, while urging people “not to fuel alarmism.” So far, the alerts have not been substantiated in any way that would suggest a concrete threat. “The frequency and diversity of these incidents – which affect not only schools but also transport and other organisations – suggest a strategy rather than the actions of a single mythomaniac,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, a meeting is scheduled at Palazzo Chigi between the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and senior intelligence officials, as well as Ministers Guido Crosetto and Matteo Piantedosi, to take stock of the situation.
Valditara linked these incidents to the broader context of new hybrid threats. “We must be vigilant, but also aware that in a context where hybrid warfare is increasingly being used as a tool to destabilise nations and economies, we must equip ourselves,” he said. Hence, according to the minister, there is a need to “step up investment in cybersecurity.” In this regard, Valditara defended the Italian government’s request to the European Commission for an exemption from the Stability Pact’s constraints in order to increase security spending, clarifying that “not a single penny has been taken from education to be allocated to defence.”
Forza Italia (EPP) MEP Salvatore De Meo, a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and chairman of the EU-NATO delegation, also commented on the matter. “The bomb threats affecting over 300 Italian schools represent a worrying incident that must not be underestimated,” he said, emphasising that even the threat alone can “generate fear, disrupt essential services, and undermine the peace of mind of thousands of families.” For De Meo, strengthening prevention, coordination and the capacity to respond to new forms of threat must become a priority. Solidarity with the schools affected was also expressed by the Forza Italia (EPP) MEP, Giusi Princi, who stated that “these attacks are unacceptable and require a swift and rigorous response.” Princi therefore emphasised the need to strengthen European cybersecurity policies, prevention tools, and cooperation between Member States, in order to protect the entire European economic and social system. According to Pina Picierno, leader of Spazio Pubblico (Renew Europe) and Vice-President of the European Parliament, “President Meloni’s decision to convene the leaders of the opposition parties is a step in the right direction – one we have long been calling for: to recognise hybrid warfare, with its web of intimidation, sabotage, and cyber-attacks, as a national emergency to be tackled with a shared and united spirit. The security of the nation and of Europe is at stake.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
