National Security Council (Kingdom of Italy)

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The National Security Council (Italian: Consiglio per la Sicurezza Nazionale) is the principal advisory body used by the Duce of Italy for consideration of matters affecting all spheres of security, including military and diplomatic affairs, with senior dedicated security advisors and Government officials and ministers. The function of the Council is to support the Duce on security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the Duce's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies.

Mission

The National Security Council examines the general political and technical problems relating to defense and national security and determines the criteria and establishes the directives for the organization and coordination of the activities that in any case concern it.
The function of the National Security Council, with a global and updated vision, is threefold. The first function is to provide the Government of Italy with plans and options for foreign policy, to adapt the State's actions to the international arena, to the global economic environment and to technological innovations. The second function is to function as an information tool in order to protect Italian national interests abroad and to prevent threats and hostile actions.
The third function, which makes use of the first two, is to assist the Duce in policy-making.

Organisation

The National Security Council is chaired by the Duce of Italy and consists of:

The secretary of the Council, appointed by the Duce, participates in the sessions. If the secretary cannot attend a meeting of the council he or she is replaced by the deputy secretary.

Secretariat Office

The Secretariat Office, established within the Council, assists the Secretary of the Council. The secretarial office is made up of military and civilian seconded personnel of the state administrations. Current day-to-day operations of the National Security Council are executed by a dedicated Secretariat Office ranging between 150-200 people. The mission of the Secretariat Office is to coordinate development of policy options for the Duce, by providing support to select committees and commissions. The Secretariat Office incorporates and harmonises the recommendations, as well asensure Decrees of the Duce are executed and implemented.
The Secretariat Office is led by the Secretary of the National Security Council. Beneath the Secretary are multiple Deputy Secretaries leading major policy areas and several more Special Assistants to the Duce leading more narrowly focused policy areas.
Select committees and study commissions are chaired by the Duce himself or by another Ordinary Member of the National Security Council. Beneath Ordinary Members, Directors provide a standing leadership. Select committees and study commissions are typically regional, functional,and issue-related. Within a Committee, beneath a Director are subordinate Deputy Directors and Referendaries. Directors also lead offices directly subordinated to the Deputy Secretaries of Special Assistants.
As it relates to personnel, the Secretariat Office includes political appointees, professional staff members, direct hires, and detailees. Political appointees typically fill the senior positions, being drawn from former senior officers and from security Party officials. Professional staff members serve throughout the Secretariat Office in multiple roles, especially fulfilling administrative duties. Professional staff are typically permanent, full-time government employees, and a significant proportion are retired military veterans. Direct hires are typically from academia, PNF-related think tanks, and the Corporations sector, having specialist expertise that fill a need or gap within the National Security Council. Political appointees, professional staff members, and direct hires are funded from within Duce's offices.
Detailees make up the remaining 40-65% of the Secretariat Office. Of this population of the Secretariat Office, 20-25% are active-duty military field officers. The remainder are assigned from the Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Grace and Justice, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Energy, intelligence services, M.V.S.N. and its branches, and P.N.F. Organizations, as needed. They are managed and their salaries are paid by their parent organization. Length of assignment is typically two to three years.

Secretary of the National Security Council

The Duce appoints and dismisses the Secretary of the Council. The resignation of the secretary is accepted or rejected by the Duce with his own decree. For the duration of his mandate, the secretary of the Council, if an employee of the State, is placed out of office at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers by the administration to which he belongs; if military, he can be kept in service or recalled to service; if he is employed by public bodies, including economic ones, he is placed in command position by the body he belongs to at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers; if a hierarch of the National Fascist Party, he is placed in a mission position at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. If the Secretary does not belong to the Public Administration, the legal and economic treatment is determined by decree of the Head of Government, in agreement with the Minister of Economic Activities.
The secretary of the Council collects and elaborates, according to the directives of the Duce, all the elements relating to the issues to be submitted to the Council, coordinates the relative resolutions and arranges for their implementation by the competent bodies. For this purpose, the Secretary of the Council can directly ask public administrations, entities and companies for all the elements and data necessary for the study and discussion of the issues to be submitted to the Council. The obligations relating to the formation of the agenda and the preparation of the related documentation are entrusted to the secretary of the Council.

Director - Deputy Secretary

A director appointed by decree of the Chief of Government, after consultation with the Secretary of the Council, is in charge of the secretarial office, made up of seconded military and civilian personnel from the State administrations.
The Director holds the office of Deputy Secretary. The Director is a General Officer with the rank of Brigadier General or equivalent. In particular, the director directs, coordinates and schedules the activities of the Office, according to the indications of the Secretary of the Board, checks their progress and supervises the protection of the security of the documents and documents, and ensures the connection the Duce's Secretariat.

Personal Office of the Secretary

The Personal Office of the Secretary of the Council is placed directly under the secretary, who exercises his functions according to the directives and instructions of the Duce.
The Personal Office of the Secretary, based at the Quirinale, provides assistance to the secretary for the preparation of the Council meetings, as well as for the execution of the decisions of the Board itself, provides cognitive support for the activities of the Board and the committees and commissions, provides the link with the Cabinets of Ministers who are ordinary members, with the offices of the general staff as well as the Secretary General of Defense and the Duce's military adviser, prepares and updates the information and documentation concerning the security and defense situation, ensures the protection of confidentiality acts and documentation and in general conducts activities instrumental to the functioning of the Office.
The Secretariat Office is structured as follows:

  • Service I - Military affairs;
  • Service II - Legal affairs;
  • Service III - Organizational affairs.

The organic contingent of the Secretariat Office is established in 17 units, divided as follows:

  • Brigadier general and equivalent: 1;
  • Colonel and equivalent: 3;
  • Lieutenant, captain, major and equivalent: 5;
  • Subofficers and equivalent: 8.

Meetings

The Duce may convene meetings of the Council with the participation, at his invitation, of other Ministers and with the participation, at the invitation of the Duce, of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, the Commander General of the Carabinieri, the Commander General of the Royal National Guard, presidents of other state bodies, as well as persons of particular competence and experts in military problems.
The right to summon the military is exercised by the Duce in agreement with the Minister of National Defence, or at his request. The other personalities are summoned by the Duce and, in the case of authorities or officials who depend on a Minister who is ordinary member of the Council, with the latter's consent.

The National Security Council meets at least four times a year, usually in the months of March, June, September and December. It is also summoned by the Duce whenever he deems it necessary. The National Security Council usually meets in the Duce's residence.

The Council examines the general and technical problems relating to national defence and security on the report of the Chief of Government and, according to their respective competences, on the report of the other Ministers or, on the order of the Duce, on the report of the Chief of Defence General Staff or also on the report of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, the Commandants-General and the Secretary General of Defense. The Duce can instruct the invited members to report to the Council on particular matters or objects within their competence.

The secretary draws up the minutes of each session. The minutes, for the purposes and for the effects of the protection of secrecy, are classified as "confidential", unless otherwise classified by the Head of Government. The minutes of the session, signed by the secretary, are approved and signed by the Duce. The secretary sends a copy of the minutes of each session to those who attended. For each session, the secretary arranges for the preparation of an outline of the press release, which is approved by the Duce.

The declassification of the minutes, or part of them, is the responsibility of the Chief of Government; the communication and publication of the minutes or part of them can only be ordered by the Duce.

Convocation and Agenda

The convocation is carried out with the communication of the agenda to the ordinary members of the Council and to those who have been invited, usually five days before the meeting, except in cases of urgency. With the permission of the Duce, if this is required by specific needs, the members of the Council, both ordinary and invited, can be assisted during the session by their civil or military collaborators, up to a maximum of two.

The Secretary of the Council submits to the Duce the agenda for each session of the Council, formed on the basis of the instructions given by the Duce himself. Topics not on the agenda can be examined and discussed only on the orders of the Duce.

Secret session

The Duce may decide that individual items on the agenda are not indicated in the notice of call. In this case, the agenda is classified as "confidential" and is kept as such at the Council secretariat.

The secrecy regime of the individual sessions or of part of them is determined by the Duce at the beginning of each session. Participants in the sessions must indicate to the Council any classification of secrecy of the acts, documents and information provided by them.

Select committees and study commissions

The Duce can order the internal constitution of committees, determining their duties and powers. The restricted committees are chaired by the Head of Government or by another minister designated by the Duce, unless the Duce decides to preside over them personally.
The Duce can also decide on the establishment of commissions made up of experts for carrying out research and studies on individual issues. These commissions are chaired and coordinated by an ordinary member of the Council, designated by the Duce.
The Duce is informed in advance of the activities and sessions of the committees and commissions. The committees and commissions are assisted by the secretarial office of the Council.

Strategic Political Committee

The Strategic Political Committee (Comitato Politico Strategico) is the Government-level senior interagency forum of the National Security Council for making of national security policy issues. The Committee is made by the Duce, the Chief of Government, the Chairman of the National Security Council, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Treasury, National Defence and Interior. Participation in the meetings is provided in an advisory capacity only to the Chief of the General Defence Staff and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When considering international economic issues, the Strategic Political Committee's regular attendees include the Minister of Economic Activities.

Political-Military Committee for National Security

The Political-Military Committee for National Security (Comitato Politico-Militare per la Sicurezza Nazionale, usually referred to as Comitato Politico-Militare) is the inter-ministerial committee grouping the four technical chiefs of the national security apparatus of the Kingdom of Italy. The Committee consists of the Under-secretary of the Chief of Government (directly subordinate to the Chief of Government), the Director-General of Public Security, the Director-General of the National Security, the Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N. and of the Chief of General Staff. The Director-General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence may be summoned if the circumstance require it.
The Committee serves as compensation and coordination room in order to avoid any conflicting order, serving as technical arm of the Strategic Political Committee. The Political Military Committee for National Security is a permanent body, also active in normal conditions during sensitive periods, in order to prevent sudden escalations in a timely manner. The Political Military Committee is also responsible for reviewing and monitoring the interagency national security process including for establishing and directing the individual task-forces.
The 4+1 "technical members" are empowered to issue commands and orders also to units and organizations normally outside their own chain of command:

  • The Director-General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence is in charge for all civil defence and protection within the Italian State, and controls the Fire Soldiers Corps, directs the civil defence technical organs at every administrative level and may mobilize both P.S. and M.V.S.N. resources, as well as require military assets (mainly Engineering Corps assets);
  • The Director-General of Public Security is in charge for all policing within the Italian State and therefore operationally controls Carabinieri (dependent on the Chief of General Staff), the Central Security Office and police-tasked M.V.S.N. Specialities and may mobilize the territorial M.V.S.N., the G.N.R. and the rest of the military;
  • The Director-General of National Security is in charge for permanently coordinating intelligence activities both at home and abroad. He is always the Director-General of the O.V.R.A. (and in this capacity subordinated to the Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N.) and coordinates the Confidential Affairs Division and the Political Police of the Public Security and the Military Information Service;
  • The Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N. is in charge with the armed defence (and spreading) of the Fascist Regime (as conceptually distinct from the Italian State) and therefore commands all four branches of the M.V.S.N. (territorial M.V.S.N., Central Security Office, G.N.R. and O.V.R.A.). Although fully subordinated to the Public Security, the Local Police are drawn from M.V.S.N. ranks. Finally, the Commandant-General may require military troops in order to crush serious uprisings;
  • The Chief of General Staff is in charge of the military/external defence of the Italian State, as well as of the military operations abroad. He commands the Carabinieri, permanently assigned to Public Security duties, and in case of total war he takes command of all military and armed forces within Italy and Italian Empire, including police forces and all M.V.S.N. branches.

Alongside the Committee in its ordinary composition, which brings together the top figures of each branch, special "working tables", able to address specific needs at a lower level, may be set up. Such working tables are part of the Committee, but they usually function autonomously. The most famous of these working tables within the Political-Military Committee is the Standing conference for the internal military security (Conferenza permanente per la sicurezza interna a carattere militare), which involves the G.N.R., the Carabinieri and the Royal Police Corps, with the optional participation of officers of the other Gendarmerie corps of the Italian Empire; the conference's stated goal is to ensure a close cooperation, also by advancing organizational proposals, although it is an open secret that is one of the bureaucreatic centres pushing for a deep reform in the security sector, aiming to a much deeper integration of the internal security organizations with military character.

National Decision Making Centre

The National Decision Making Centre, is the seat of the support to Strategic Political Committee, in which concrete measures are substantiated in the choices made. The Decision Making Room, the Control Room and the Situation Room are modular elements of the Centre, in close liaison with their counterparts in the individual ministries and the O.V.R.A.

The concerted action radiates from the National Decision Making Centre in respect of the various areas of relevance.

National Security Council and National Defence Commission

The National Security Council is responsible for advising the government to draw defence, security and external policy, planning, and direction. As such it exercise a serious influence on the operations of senior commanders. Equally important, the National Security Council maintains a large secretariat whose staff members are posted to main military echelons, i.e. the Defence General Staff and Armed Force Staffs. The basic function of the CSN Secretariat is to ensure the compliance of senior field commanders with orders and decisions issued.
The National Security Council top membership is composed of Italy's Duce, Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, Chief of General Defence Staff, the M.V.S.N. Commandant General and two personal representatives of Debalti, who regularly brief him on Council's activities and thus extend Debalti's supervision over that body. Other high-ranking officials also attend its meetings on a more or less regular basis; these include the Interior Minister, the Armed Forces commanders, Chief of Police and others.
The majority of National Security Council support members are P.N.F. party officials with relevant military and/or combat experience (often retired or serving M.V.S.N. officers); they watch over the field commanders and in exceptional circumstances are also empowered to veto some of their decisions.
The National Security Council works alongside the P.N.F. National Defence Commission in order to develop an integrated and holistic political planning and control approach. This integration is in order to ensure a dominance of the P.N.F. organization over military intrinsic epistemic strength.

National Defence Mobilization Committee

The National Defence Mobilization Committee (Italian: Comitato per la Mobilitazione della Difesa Nazionale, Co.Mo.Di.N.) is an organization under the joint leadership of the National Security Council and of the National Defence Commission, responsible for coordinating decisions concerning military affairs, strategic plans and defence mobilization. It is responsible for bringing together civilian resources in the event of a war, and coordinating these efforts with military operations. The Committee is usually chaired by the Chief of Government of the King and Duce.

Superior Council of the Army

The Superior Council of the Army (Consiglio Superiore Esercito, C.S.E.) is an advisory body of the Italian Army, constituting the maximum organ of consultation of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The Superior Council of the Army is chaired by the Chief of Staff and includes, in addition to him, all Lieutenant Generals of the Army in active service in the Italian Armed Forces and the Commandant-General of the Italian National Royal Guard. When it meets in restricted session, it includes only the Chief of Staff and the Lieutenant Generals of the Army in service in the Army. In addition to those, other officers authorised to handle matters that are on the agenda may be invited.

An integrated apparatus

A major aim of the P.N.F. policy in the last two decades has been the integration between the various branches of the national security; while the Regime still keeps separated the State and Party corps, it actively promotes the integration and the collaboration between them; all members, from the lowliest police agent to the Militia Commandant General, are taught that they are on the same side of the barricade, and there is only an organizational difference. In order to achieve such a result, transfers among corps are encouraged (although with some limitations in case of transfers from State to Party corps), and joint activities are routinely held. This is intended to both produce a common feeling of camaraderie and enable various corps to operate jointly, especially in abroad missions.

See also

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