Council of Europe: Accusations Against Italian Police Undermine CoE Credibility

Strasbourg, 25/06/2025 – “Supporting our national police is not an ideological stance: it is a national responsibility. It concerns two pillars of democratic life: public safety and social cohesion. Those who accuse our police forces, when such accusations are baseless and unsupported by solid evidence, undermine every single security check and erode the vital trust between citizens and the state. This approach has two serious consequences.

Firstly, it damages the credibility of the Council of Europe itself, whose authority depends on impartiality and institutional integrity. Rhetorical excesses or lack of concrete evidence weaken the legitimacy of the Council’s work in the eyes of the public and national policymakers.

Secondly, it harms the credibility and morale of national police forces, fueling distrust, social tensions, and a climate of insecurity. This discourages police from acting in complex or high-risk situations.

I often hear directly from police officers: ‘If we intervene to stop a brawl involving non-EU citizens and someone gets hurt, we end up under investigation. If we, the police, are the ones injured, we still risk our careers or, worse, our lives. Either way, we lose.’

Unfortunately, certain narratives, sometimes even originating within the Council of Europe, can contribute to this dangerous climate. This is unacceptable.

We therefore urge international monitoring bodies, when raising concerns about national police forces, to present clear and robust evidence, citing reliable sources and transparently listing all meetings and consultations conducted during their missions.

Bodies like the ECRI Commission must ensure that their press releases and public statements reflect an impartial and institutional tone, so as not to compromise the credibility of the entire monitoring process,” stated Hon. Simone Billi, head of the Lega group in the Foreign Affairs Committee, speaking today in the Plenary Session in Strasbourg on behalf of the entire International Conservative Group at the Council of Europe.