Italy postpones decision on EU SAFE defence loan amid procurement probe

The Italian government said it will not decide on joining the EU's Security Action For Europe (SAFE) defence‑loan programme until September, citing the need to await parliamentary approval of a national safeguard clause and concerns about the country's excess‑deficit procedure. The SAFE programme offers up to €150 billion in low‑interest loans to boost defence investment, and Italy has indicated it may request around €5 billion, far less than the €14.9 billion initially signalled.

At the same time, the Ministry of Defence disclosed that its offices have flagged "suspicious situations" in a procurement investigation involving a multibillion‑euro contract awarded to the U.S. firm Accenture. The probe examines possible corruption, influence‑peddling and money‑laundering linked to the replacement of an existing Italian‑made command system with Accenture’s software, raising questions about the transparency of defence contracts and the involvement of former senior officers.

Both developments highlight heightened scrutiny of Italy’s defence spending and procurement practices as the country prepares for upcoming elections and attempts to balance security needs with fiscal constraints.