Italy’s ex-PM Conte calls for NATO counter-summit

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is calling for a counter-NATO gathering in The Hague for June 24 — just a day ahead of a summit by alliance leaders. 

According to a letter obtained by POLITICO, Conte, the current leader of Italy’s Five Star Movement, plans to invite European leaders who oppose rearmament to the Dutch parliament, where the Dutch Socialist Party will host them.

“I call on all European political representatives who oppose this reckless arms race … who believe in defending the values of peace and dialogue among nations,” Conte wrote in his open letter.

The only governing party which has confirmed attendance is Spain’s Sumar, in coalition with Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who will be attending the NATO summit. 

During The Hague summit on June 24-25, NATO leaders are expected to approve a new defense spending benchmark of 5 percent of GDP. 

Of that, 3.5 percent should be allocated for "hard military spending," and 1.5 percent for "related spending, such as infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other things," alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte explained in a May letter to NATO leaders.

“This shift is unacceptable,” Conte stressed. “Without genuine public debate at the European and national levels, we are witnessing — within mere weeks — the transformation of the European welfare system, built over decades, into a machinery of war.”

Other attendees of the counter-gathering include Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, Belgium’s PTB, Portugal’s Communist Party, Cyprus’ Akel, the Czech Republic's Stacilo, Latvia’s For Stability and Greece's Course of Freedom, according to the Five Star Movement.