Italy's new security decree: Hikers and mushroom pickers protest knife ban

The Italian government has introduced a new Security Decree, which includes a controversial ban on possessing folding knives with a blade length exceeding 5 centimeters. The new regulations affect owners of tools equipped with a locking mechanism and a sharp tip, which in practice covers most popular models of pocket knives. The document was signed by President Sergio Mattarella at the end of February 2026, and the process of converting it into law is currently underway in parliament. However, in March 2026, during the legislative work, serious reservations emerged regarding the lack of necessity and urgency requirements for some provisions of this act. These regulations are part of a broader package of changes to the penal code, which is arousing strong social and political emotions.

Numerous social groups are protesting against the new restrictions, including mountain tourists, mushroom pickers, and traditional associations from the Trentino and South Tyrol regions. The Schützen Association has appealed to the authorities not to criminalize everyday objects that have served residents of rural and mountainous areas for generations. The president of CAI Alto Adige, Carlo Alberto Zanella, described the proposed regulations as completely detached from reality, emphasizing that a knife in the mountains is an essential tool for work and survival. Tourist and agricultural communities call the rule irrational, pointing out that it targets law-abiding citizens instead of combating real crime. „Questa norma è fuori dalla realtà. I coltelli sono strumenti indispensabili in montagna” (This rule is detached from reality. Knives are indispensable tools in the mountains) — Carlo Alberto Zanella via La Repubblica

Legal experts and civil rights defenders warn against the phenomenon of penal populism, which could lead to the mass prosecution of people unaware of the new restrictions. Lawyer Nicola Canestrini pointed out that even if a pocket knife user is eventually acquitted in court, they will have to bear high legal defense costs and face entries in police registers. The 2026 Security Decree also contains other controversial solutions, such as a penal shield or the possibility for uniformed services to apply preventive detentions. Critics of the project emphasize that such drastic changes to the law are being introduced without adequate debate on their consequences for the daily lives of millions of Italians. Italian law concerning the possession of dangerous tools has traditionally been based on the concept of justified reason, which allowed for carrying a knife during work, hunting, or tourism. Previous major changes to security regulations took place in 2018–2019, but never before has such a precise and restrictive blade length limit been introduced for folding knives with a locking mechanism. Alpine regions, such as South Tyrol, have a centuries-old culture of knife making and use, which is deeply rooted in local identity.

Legislative process of the 2026 Security Decree: February 5 — Government approval; February 24 — President's signature; March 11 — Schützen protest; March 12 — Parliamentary debate