Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday quoted the famous Ancent Roman motto 'se vis pacem para bellum' (If you want peace prepare for war) in briefing the Senate on the Iran war ahead of this week's NATO and EU summits, drawing fire from opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein.
"On defense, I think like the Romans: si vis pacem, para bellum', Meloni told the Upper House before flying to The Hague for the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday and then to Brussels for the European Council on Thursday and Friday.
"If you have solid security and defence systems, you can more easily avoid conflicts", she went on.
Schlein commented: "I would like to tell you that compared to 2,000 years ago, the world has made progress in resolving disputes.
"Preparing for war, as you think, is the opposite of what Italy needs.
