Their draft has the support of opposition parties Azione, Italia Viva and the Five-Star Movement (M5S).
The Democratic Party (PD) is less keen on Forza Italia’s idea of ius scholae (in Latin, law of the right to study) which would potentially grant citizenship to foreign minors who have completed one or two cycles of study.
PD prefers ius soli (in Latin, law of the soil) under which those born in Italy would be Italian.
Members have however signalled that they are open to changes to the current law under which second generation immigrants can apply to become Italian citizens once they have turned 18.
PD MEP Giorgio Gori recently said, “the objective remains ius soli, but Forza Italia’s opening on ius scholae, if it becomes official, is worthy of full consideration”.
On Sunday, Fulvio Martuscello, Forza Italia’s whip in the European Parliament, said “ius scholae can become a European model”.
He added that “common rules” in Europe are “necessary for everybody to avoid uncontrolled migration”.
“If the rules to obtain citizenship were to become common for all of Europe, there wouldn’t be a race to reach Italy or Denmark or any other country.”
Paolo Emilio Russo, FI’s whip in the Lower House’s constitutional affairs commission, said his party’s whips and leader Antonio Tajani would meet in September to discuss the issue and write a draft proposal.
Maurizio Lupi, leader of the conservative party Noi Moderati, also said Sunday that he was “in favour of granting citizenship to the offspring of foreigners who have completed two cycles of studies in Italy”.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Lower House, Sergio Costa of M5S, on Sunday wrote a post on social media voicing his support for the reform.
“Ius scholae is a just reform and represents a fair, inclusive and fundamental solution to respond to the needs of a society that is increasingly more multicultural and integrated,” he wrote.
However, the League party in the majority coalition is against changing the ongoing legislation and has said in a statement issued a few days ago that “there is no need for an ius soli or shortcuts”.
Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party has not shown interest in changing the current legislation.
Without mentioning the proposal, Tommaso Foti, FdI’s whip in the Lower House, warned coalition members to “avoid divisions over themes which the Left considers fundamental today, [while] carefully ignoring them when they were in the majority”.
ANSA
