“On behalf of myself and all those who believe in justice and in the dignity of our people, I express the strongest and deepest opposition to Decree-Law No. 36 of March 28, 2025, which contains urgent provisions regarding citizenship,” he began.
“And I do so with my heart, with my voice and with the conscience of the millions of Italians residing abroad, and of the millions of descendants who, for generations, have kept their love for Italy alive despite the distance, despite the neglect to which Italian institutions too often condemn them.
“This decree is not a reform. This decree is a wound. A deep, painful, unjust wound. It is so in form, in method and in substance. It is a wound inflicted with artificial urgency, with the bureaucratic mask of those who wish to conceal a political choice behind a supposed administrative danger.
“Where is the urgency, I ask? Where is the catastrophe that justifies such haste? Perhaps it’s the fact that a few thousand people a year request recognition of Italian citizenship by descent?
“This decree was not born to manage an emergency, but to build a barrier. A barrier against those with Italian blood who live elsewhere. A barrier against those who, instead of being welcomed and valued, are seen as a threat.
“And here, the substance becomes even more bitter. Because this provision, let’s be clear, strikes at the very heart of the principle of ius sanguinis. It limits its transmissibility, restricts its retroactive applicability and empties it of meaning.
“This is not about modernising the law; it is a precise, targeted, surgical blow to a principle that has underpinned the cohesion of Italian identity around the world.
“Do you know who the victims will be? Not the so-called ‘passport opportunists’ as pompous rhetoric suggests. No, the real victims will be families. The children and grandchildren of emigrated Italians who, after decades of sacrifices, are suddenly told, ‘You are not Italian enough to deserve your grandfather’s citizenship.’
“And this, while the whole world looks with admiration at Italian communities abroad. Those very communities that have contributed to Italy’s reputation through their work, culture and human capital. Those same communities that keep our language, traditions, cultural and commercial ties with our nation alive.
“Whoever wrote this decree shows either ignorance of or a wilful desire to erase the history of our emigration. A history of cardboard suitcases, of mines, of hard work and dignity. A history of broken families, handwritten letters and a love for Italy that has never faded.
“So, I say with strength: You cannot break this bond. You cannot erase this identity. You cannot deny those with Italian blood the right to feel part of the Republic.
“Over the years we have seen the fruits of enlightened policies: the right to vote abroad, parliamentary representation, the tireless work Italian associations worldwide, training programs, cultural exchanges.
“This decree, instead, is a step backwards. It denies everything. It is a law that denies trust, rejects the past and compromises the future. I say this with institutional pride, but also with personal emotion. It is intolerable that two brothers, sons of the same Italian father who emigrated, can find themselves in two different situations just because one submitted the application on March 26 and the other on March 28.
“This is not law; this is arbitrariness. This is injustice. This is administrative cruelty.
“But there is more, and perhaps it is even more serious; this law breaks the pact between the State and the citizen. The pact that guarantees legal certainty, respect for rules and equal treatment.
“As we all know, citizenship is not just a piece of paper. It’s a moral, cultural and legal bond. It’s a legacy that cannot be amputated based on political or ideological calculation.
“Here’s the truth: this is not a decree about citizenship. It’s a decree about exclusion.
“I stand for an Italy that is open, just, aware of its history and its global destiny. An Italy that is not afraid of its children abroad, but welcomes them, honours them, listens to them.
“Because they are part of us, because without them, Italy is poorer. We will not give up and we will continue to fight, inside and outside this chamber, for an Italy that does not cut its ties but strengthens them. For an Italy that recognises and embraces all its children.”
