Germany urges EU to cut Russians' holiday visas after sabotage attacks

Germany is urging its European Union partners to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens following a series of suspected sabotage attacks, with Berlin citing a case in which a Belarusian national accused of plotting an attack on Leipzig airport was found to hold a visa issued by Italy, according to the Guardian.

The case has placed Italy at the centre of a sensitive debate inside the bloc over how to balance security concerns against the diplomatic value of maintaining people-to-people contact with Russian citizens, a discussion that has divided EU capitals since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Guardian reported that German authorities have been pushing for a coordinated EU-wide response after identifying what they describe as a pattern of hostile activity on European soil linked to Russian intelligence. The Leipzig case, in which the suspect reportedly entered the Schengen area on a visa granted by an Italian consulate, has become a focal point for German officials arguing that the bloc's visa regime remains too permissive.

For Italy, the episode is diplomatically awkward. Rome has maintained a pragmatic line on Russia-related matters within the EU, supporting sanctions while avoiding the most confrontational postures adopted by some eastern and northern member states. The revelation that an Italian-issued visa was used by an individual now suspected of sabotage gives Berlin a concrete example to wield in internal EU negotiations over visa policy.

The Schengen system, which Italy strongly supports as a pillar of European integration, means that a visa issued by any one member state grants access to the entire zone. German officials have repeatedly warned that weaknesses in one country's consular screening can expose the whole bloc to risk, and the Guardian's report suggests the Leipzig case is now being used to press for tighter common standards.

Any move to restrict Russian tourist visas would have significant implications for Italy's tourism sector, which has historically drawn large numbers of Russian visitors to destinations such as the Ligurian coast, Venice and Rome. EU-level restrictions introduced shortly after the invasion of Ukraine already sharply reduced Russian tourist flows, and a further tightening would cement that decline.

The broader security dimension has been a growing concern for European governments. The Guardian noted that the alleged Leipzig plot is among several incidents European security services have attributed to Russian-linked operatives in recent months, prompting discussions about critical infrastructure protection and intelligence sharing across the bloc.

Italy's position in these negotiations will be watched closely by its EU partners. As a founding member of the bloc and a frontline state on the Mediterranean migration route, Rome has often sought to frame security discussions in terms of external border management rather than internal visa policy. Whether it can resist German pressure on the Russian visa question, or whether it will ultimately side with Berlin to avoid being cast as the weak link in Schengen security, remains to be seen.