This summer, Italy has seen an influx of billboards featuring the slogan “Russia is not our enemy,” with a striking visual of hands shaking in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags.
These posters have appeared in cities such as Rome, Verona, Modena, Parma, Pisa, and various towns in the southern region of Calabria.
Many of the billboards also include the message, “Enough money for weapons for Ukraine and Israel. We want peace. We reject war.”
The campaign is organized by Sovranità Popolare, a group rooted in movements that previously protested Italy’s Covid-19 lockdown measures.
According to the group, the posters, which initially appeared in northern Italy in June, were paid for by associations that have evolved from pandemic-related protests to now taking a stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine’s embassy in Rome responded strongly, condemning the billboard campaign.
“We are deeply concerned by the arrogance of Russian propaganda in the Eternal City,” the embassy posted on X. It further urged the city to reconsider its permission for the posters, stating, “We ask @comuneroma to reconsider granting permits for such posters that have a clear purpose of rehabilitating the image of the aggressor state.”
The official response to the posters has varied across Italy. In some regions, local officials acted swiftly to remove them, while in others, they remain in place until their paid period expires.
In Rome, the posters have drawn criticism not only for their message but also for including the city’s name and official symbol.
The mayor’s office, in a decree issued to local police and the advertising company, Nuovi Spazi Advertising Srl, ordered the immediate removal of all such posters.
However, as of Friday, at least one billboard was still visible at Piazza Mazzini, a bustling area in a well-to-do neighborhood. CNN reached out to the advertising company for comment, but no response was provided.
Sovranità Popolare has publicly defended the campaign, referencing Article 11 of the Italian Constitution, which explicitly states that Italy rejects war as a means of aggression or settling international disputes.
“Italy agrees, on conditions of equality with other States, to the limitations of sovereignty that may be necessary to a world order ensuring peace and justice among the Nations,” the group noted, further stressing that Italy encourages participation in international organizations aimed at fostering peace.
In an article posted on its website, Sovranità Popolare also accused Italian leadership and the media of stirring fear among citizens since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“For two years, Italian warmongers have been fueling Russophobia, a feeling of hatred towards Russian people, culture, and art,” the group claimed in a response.
While Italy’s government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, officially supports continued military aid to Ukraine in line with European Union agreements, the ruling coalition is not entirely united on this issue.
Meloni has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky multiple times, including a recent encounter at the European House’s Ambrosetti Forum in northern Italy.
However, some members of her coalition have expressed sympathies for Russia, notably the late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who was once famously photographed in Moscow wearing a Putin T-shirt.
Public opinion in Italy appears divided. A survey conducted in May by the European Council on Foreign Relations revealed that many Italians, alongside respondents from Greece and Bulgaria, oppose increasing military aid to Ukraine.
Despite the controversy, the posters have not caused widespread outrage, possibly because they emerged during the height of Italy’s summer holiday season when many Italians are away on vacation.
Reactions on social media have been mixed, with some citizens defending the posters as an exercise in free speech, and criticizing any attempts at censorship.
While Italian law does not mandate content approval for advertisements by local governments, companies that own advertising spaces are still required to adhere to regulations that prohibit support for fascism or extremist ideologies.
According to Italy’s media governing body, the posters have yet to cross those boundaries.
