The gathering allowed participants to take stock of the community’s needs, current challenges and future prospects.
In attendance was Ambassador Paolo Crudele, nearing the end of his term in Australia, along with Senator Francesco Giacobbe (Democratic Party, elected for the Africa–Asia–Oceania–Antarctica constituency) and Franco Papandrea, representative of the General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE).
A central theme of this year’s consular meeting was intergenerational dialogue, aimed at ensuring that the voices of young Italian Australians and new migrants are heard, bridging generational divides while celebrating a shared history.
Ubaldo Aglianò, president of the Com.It.Es. Victoria and Tasmania, noted that the meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on issues of representation for Italians abroad and to analyse the recent amendments to the citizenship law, including new provisions regarding reacquisition.
“We discussed how to align administrative procedures between consulates and users in the provision of services such as registering births or applying for the reacquisition of citizenship,” Aglianò explained.
The Decree-Law No. 36 of March 28, 2025, which introduced significant changes to citizenship eligibility — limiting it to those with at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy — was justified by the Italian government as a response to the uncontrolled surge in applications and as a measure to ease the workload of consular offices.
However, the decree has sparked considerable debate in recent months.
“Italian citizenship has become the subject of judicial scrutiny, with several courts questioning the constitutional legitimacy of the law’s retroactive effect,” Aglianò observed.
“We await the Constitutional Court’s ruling, expected by the end of January.”
From a practical standpoint, Aglianò clarified that although citizenship processes remain lengthy, there has been no noticeable decline in applications:
“There doesn’t appear to be a significant impact. In fact, reacquisition procedures for former Italian citizens are being handled quite quickly. As explained by Chiara Mauri, Consul General of Italy in Melbourne, once the documents are verified, the response is almost immediate.”
The meeting also gave ample attention to the promotion of the Italian language, which all participants recognised as a vital pillar of cultural identity and continuity. Discussion included the renewal of Memoranda of Understanding between Italian consulates and local Departments of Education — tools that strengthen the presence of Italian in school curricula and reinforce cooperation with state education authorities.
“We recently renewed ours with Victoria and I believe South Australia’s is currently under review,” said Aglianò.
However, administrative challenges continue to hinder the full effectiveness of these programs.
“Councillor Papandrea, who also represents the Dante Alighieri Society of Canberra, reminded us that the timing of funding allocations from Italy often doesn’t align with course schedules,” Aglianò added.
“Requests are approved late, or forms change mid-process, creating real difficulties for those involved in language promotion.”
These are not only economic but also organisational obstacles, reflecting the complexity of the global system that supports Italian language education.
Nevertheless, Aglianò reaffirmed the commitment of the Com.It.Es. and institutions to continue supporting managing bodies, addressing critical issues constructively and ensuring that Italian teaching remains accessible, stable and of high quality, because, as he emphasised: “Language is the first link to our roots.”
Looking ahead, Com.It.Es. Victoria and Tasmania is already working on several initiatives.
“Together with Consul Chiara Mauri, we recently met with the Victorian veterans’ associations to organise the November ceremony at the Murchison War Memorial, which needs restoration following flood damage from a few years ago,” he said.
“Next February, we expect representatives from the Ministry of Defence to visit, and we’ll present our requests then.”
“Our focus is on promoting everything that strengthens our identity around the world,” concluded Aglianò.
During the meeting, Carlo Randazzo, Honorary Consul of Darwin, was awarded the title of Commendatore of the Order of the Star of Italy, while Franco Barilaro, president of the Com.It.Es. Canberra, and Filomena Pucci, member of the same committee, received the honour of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic “for their tireless commitment to the Italian community in Australia”.
