Italy might consider a billion-dollar deal with Starlink that would undermine Europe’s efforts to achieve space sovereignty.

The far-right Italian government might adopt Elon Musk’s Starlink technology for satellite communications. A €1.5 billion five-year contract between the Italian government and SpaceX would be dedicated to creating a secure telecommunications system for government use.

Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, has praised the technology and the direction his government will likely pursue.

“Elon Musk is a leading figure in global innovation: a potential agreement with him and SpaceX to ensure connectivity and modernization across Italy would not be a threat but rather an opportunity,” the minister wrote on X.

Musk almost immediately responded to the post, saying that other European countries would “ask to borrow it.”

This will be great. Other countries in Europe will ask to borrow it.

undefined Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025

However, opposition parties have already raised concerns regarding the deal with SpaceX, which has reportedly received approval from Italy’s Intelligence Services and the Defence Ministry.

The warm relations with Musk come as no surprise, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni keeping close contact with Donald Trump. The president-elect has praised Meloni for “taking Europe by storm."

The Italian government officially denied whispers that the agreement with SpaceX had already been signed. However, it has not stated whether the office was engaged in active negotiations.

Why doesn’t Europe want Starlink?

Europe has been working on its flagship space programs, such as IRIS2 and GovSatCom, to secure satellite communication networks. This is a strategic move to reduce the continent’s dependence on non-European systems used as critical infrastructure.

IRIS2 (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite), a Starlink competitor, plans to start service by 2030.

The satellite constellation will provide secure communication and broadband internet services. Building the network will cost €10.6 billion, divided among all 27 European Union member states, Italy included. GovSatCom, which goes into service this year, will provide secure satellite communications for EU governments' national public authorities managing security-critical missions.

While Starlink might benefit from securing the Italian market before Europe is ready to launch its own services, this might mean strategic losses for the EU.

IRIS2 is meant to increase Europe’s strategic competitiveness, but the member states must stay united behind their decision to build an independent network. Letting Starlink into the market might make the project less credible, even though Starlink's services are compatible with the IRIS2 project.

Using Starlink might also cause issues for strategic and political autonomy. “Sovereignty – you will hear this word more often. We cannot be dependent on other nations. We cannot be dependent on commercial systems that can be switched off," commented ESA's Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications Laurent Jaffart during the SDSC conference.

A bitter lesson from Ukraine

At the beginning of 2023, Musk received backlash after he admitted to turning off Starlink satellite connections in occupied Crimea during a Ukrainian raid on a Russian naval fleet.

Musk explained it as a preventative action from being “complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.” The Wall Street Journal claimed that Musk has been in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2022. Musk’s comments have also outraged Ukraine and its allies, as the billionaire suggested that Ukraine remain neutral and give Crimea formally to Russia.

Starlink has also been accused of monopolizing the space satellite industry since SpaceX launched its first satellite in 2018.