Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament and a senior member of Italy’s Democratic Party, has called on the Italian Government to strengthen enforcement of EU sanctions against Russian state media following an event linked to RT held in Bologna over the weekend.
RT, formerly Russia Today, is a Russian state-controlled international news television network funded by the Russian Government.
In a letter sent yesterday to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as foreign minister Antonio Tajani and interior minister Matteo Piantedosi, Picierno argued that existing European measures against Russian propaganda outlets are “largely unenforced” in Italy.
“The European regulatory framework is clear,” she wrote, urging the government to adopt concrete implementing measures — including administrative directives and enforcement guidelines — to ensure that sanctioned entities cannot operate indirectly on Italian territory.
RT is widely regarded by EU institutions as a key instrument of Kremlin propaganda. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions banning RT and similar outlets such as Sputnik.
The ban prohibits the broadcasting and distribution of RT content across the EU, including on television, online platforms and streaming services. It also restricts the promotion or facilitation of RT’s activities by third parties within member states.
The measures are part of a broader EU strategy to curb information aligned with the Kremlin’s narrative and to promote narratives more closely aligned with the EU’s position on the war in Ukraine.
Picierno’s intervention was prompted by a media and political festival held in Bologna that featured content and figures closely aligned with RT.
The event was formally branded as an RT-related initiative and included the screening of a video address by Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry and a prominent voice of the Kremlin’s official narrative.
The festival also received public endorsement from Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and one of the most influential figures in Russia’s state media apparatus.
Critics argue that the event effectively provided a platform for narratives aligned with Russian state media despite the EU ban.
According to Picierno, the fact that such an initiative could take place highlights gaps in how EU sanctions are applied at the national level.
“Episodes like this demonstrate the absence of effective enforcement tools,” she wrote in her letter.
The issue lies partly in the nature of the sanctions themselves. While RT is formally banned, enforcement depends on national authorities interpreting and applying EU regulations. This can create grey areas — for instance, when events are organised by third parties or do not explicitly carry RT branding but are linked to its network.
The case has reignited debate over how strictly EU member states are implementing sanctions against Russian media, as well as over the delicate line between defending democratic systems and restricting narratives that diverge from mainstream European positions, particularly on the war in Ukraine.
Picierno is widely regarded as a hardliner in her pro-Ukraine stance, a firm supporter of unwavering European backing for Kyiv and a staunch critic of Russia.
Her request does not call for new sanctions but rather for stricter enforcement of existing ones. Her appeal reflects growing concern in Brussels that disinformation channels may continue to operate through informal or rebranded formats despite formal bans.
The Italian Government has not yet publicly responded to the letter.
