PRESS

Mediterranean Basin appear less and less stable—all
of which could, and probably will, impact Italy’s security.
But with military spending cut to the bone, Italy’s
ability to help address those challenges will likely fall
short not only of what one might expect of a country
its size and economic weight, but also of Rome’s own
ambitions at the century’s turn.
ENDNOTES - CHAPTER 2
1. This essay was originally published on November 1, 2012.
2. World Bank, “Gross Domestic Product, 2011,” available
from databank.worldbank.org/databank/download/GDP.pdf.
3. Determining Italy’s level of defense spending is complicated
by the fact that the government’s overall defense budget includes
funds for Italy’s national military police, the Carabinieri—
a force of some 100,000. Approximately a quarter of Italy’s overall
defense budget goes to pay for the Carabinieri and the internal
security function. At the same time, the defense budget does not
include funds spent on overseas operations, such as in Afghanistan;
those funds are approved separately by Italy’s parliament.
Nor does the nominal defense budget include funds spent by Italy’s
Ministry of Economic Development on military procurement
and research and development. Although the ministry does not
publish the exact amount it contributes to defense-related spending,
estimates were that, in 2011, the ministry spent €1.85 billion,
and, in 2012, the total will drop to somewhere between €1.30 and
€1.67 billion.
4. The FD includes funding for the three military services
(army, navy, and air force), training and maintenance, personnel,
and weapons development and procurement.
5. Andy Nativi Genoa, “Italy Wants More For Less With Defense
Cuts,” Aviation Week and Space Technology, September 3,
2012, available from www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/articlexml/AW_09_03_2012_p16-486416.xml&p=1.
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