Italy is in crisis. This week, the Ministry of Enterprises and Goods Made in Italy called together a special commission to investigate the 17.5 percent jump in pasta prices seen in March, which took place despite months of declining wheat prices.
The government commission is expected to hold its first meeting on May 11, and to focus on an issue that can only be characterized as a matter of national security and national pride, given Italians’ consumption of about 23 kg (over 50 pounds) of pasta per year for every man, woman, and child in the country.
Assoutenti, another Italian consumer watchdog, has reported that in some provinces, a kilogram of pasta is now going for over €2 euros a package - a 25 percent jump from an average of €1.50 in mid-2022. In Ancona province, situated on the eastern portion of the Italian boot overlooking the Adriatic, prices as high as €2.44 have been reported.
Italy and other EU countries have faced massive spikes in inflation, energy, and food costs over the past year amid Brussels' pledge to reduce dependence on Russian energy.
In a separate but related development, Italy's military is reporting a crisis of a different sort, indicating that stocks of ammunition have been depleted to the point of "exhaustion," with the country now having the capacity to resist for just "48-72 hours" in the event of a surprise invasion.
Local media have attributed the ammo shortages to Ukraine – which has consumed over €600 million in direct Italian military assistance, plus hundreds of millions more pledged via EU channels. Italy has generously provided Kiev with a broad range of weaponry, including armored personnel carriers, towed and self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers, IVECO and FIAT trucks, MILAN anti-tank missiles, small arms, plus over €800 million in economic and financial support.
Appeals for assistance from Washington have apparently fallen on deaf ears, with Rome reportedly told to "get in line" in a "long" queue for new American supplies.
Italy’s stock of working tanks has reportedly dwindled to an estimated 25-30 percent due to obsolescence and the cannibalization of spare parts. The Air Force, meanwhile, is said to have a sufficient stock of modern aircraft, but not enough missiles. The Navy seems to be the best equipped, and although understaffed, reportedly has enough ammunition to fight for about a week.
Italy’s inflation rate hit 8.2 percent in March, down from 10.7 percent in January and 12.6 percent in November of 2022. GDP growth dipped to negative 0.1 percent in January, but rebounded to about 0.5 percent in March, according to government data.