Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for political unity on Thursday following a wave of cyber-related security alerts that disrupted thousands of schools and raised concerns about the country’s preparedness to respond to digital threats.
Meloni met opposition leaders at Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister’s official residence, a day after approximately 6,000 schools across Italy received anonymous bomb-threat emails, prompting evacuations, security inspections and widespread alarm.
Authorities subsequently determined that the threats posed no concrete danger, although Italian media reported further threatening messages targeting schools on Thursday.
During the meeting, Meloni said the government wanted to share information about the recent incidents, including suspected hacking activities and the false bomb alerts.
According to participants, the prime minister emphasised that the discussions were not intended to replace a formal parliamentary briefing and urged political parties to cooperate in strengthening national security.
The meeting was attended by opposition figures including Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte, Nicola Fratoianni, Angelo Bonelli, Matteo Renzi, Riccardo Magi, Carlo Calenda and Edoardo Ziello.
Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini also participated, alongside several senior government ministers.
Following the talks, opposition leaders expressed willingness to cooperate with the government but demanded greater transparency and concrete measures to improve Italy’s cybersecurity preparedness.
“We welcome the discussion, but it must continue in the appropriate venues, namely parliament and COPASIR,” Schlein said, referring to Italy’s parliamentary intelligence oversight committee.
She stressed that the opposition remained prepared to work with the government but would not provide it with a “blank check.”
Conte also expressed support for cross-party cooperation while insisting that the government must take responsibility for developing and presenting specific proposals.
“The country was brought to a standstill yesterday by emails. We cannot allow that,” he said.
The Five Star Movement leader called for clearer emergency protocols and faster action to strengthen the country’s defences against cyber-related disruption.
Fratoianni, a member of the Green-Left Alliance, questioned why authorities had been unable to prevent the mass email campaign despite similar incidents occurring previously.
He also urged the government to allocate additional funding to cybersecurity infrastructure and preventive measures.
The Italian government has described the recent incidents as part of a broader pattern of cyber threats and disinformation activities intended to generate disruption and public uncertainty.
Despite reports of further threats, schools reopened normally on Thursday as authorities continued monitoring the situation.
The incidents have intensified political debate over Italy’s ability to respond effectively to coordinated digital threats and the need for stronger cooperation between government agencies, educational institutions and security authorities.