The ultra-conservative Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved a decree increasing penalties for certain crimes and giving greater protection to police officers involved in violence, Agence France-Presse reported.
The decree, approved yesterday, entered into force immediately, and the two chambers of parliament, in which the ruling coalition has a large majority, have 60 days to approve it, BTA specifies.
The preparation of the text took more than a year, to "approve a legislative measure to guarantee the legal protection of police officers, the legal protection of the elderly and the protection of vulnerable groups", explained Interior Minister Matteo Piantedozzi at a press conference after a meeting of cabinet.
The decree provides that police officers prosecuted for violence in the performance of their official duties will receive financial assistance of EUR 10,000 for their defense costs.
The penalties for certain crimes, such as "prison riots", have also been increased.
The decree also provides for a reduction in the terms for evicting people who illegally occupy apartments or garages, and pregnant women and mothers with small children who have committed crimes will now be able to be imprisoned, albeit in facilities with milder conditions than prisons.
The tightening of security measures is supported by the far-right "Lega" party of Matteo Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister for transport and infrastructure.
A journalist noted at the press conference announcing the measures that the decree was adopted on the eve of the "Lega" congress, taking place today and tomorrow, amid Salvini's drive to regain visibility and the electorate, which he has largely lost to Meloni's post-fascist "Brothers of Italy" party, AFP notes.