The deputy prime minister and foreign minister’s comments came while addressing the Rimini Meeting organised by Catholic activist group Comunione e Liberazione (Communion and Liberation).
Earlier on Thursday, the Lower House whip of Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, Tommaso Foti, insisted citizenship reform is not part of the government’s program.
The other government partner, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party, has also indicated through its leader that it is not in favour of citizenship reform.
“Like other issues that are not part of the government’s program, and which are stressed by other allies, we talk about them,” he said.
“It’s not like, if a theme is not in the government’s program, you can’t talk about it.”
“Everyone has the right to say: I don’t impose anything on anyone, but I don’t want anyone to impose something to me, therefore I am free to talk,” he noted.
The foreign minister added that the government coalition includes “different parties” bound by a common program.
“As far as ius scholae is concerned, it is not part of the government’s program so we can express our judgement, we will also discuss it with allies.”
Tajani also said that, “Being Italian, being European, being patriotic is not tied to seven generations, but to what you are.”
“I’m neither a dangerous subversive nor a left-wing extremist,” the leader of Forza Italia went on to say, stressing it is “necessary to look at reality for what it is”.
“I insist on education, on identity, on culture, because if you accept to be European in substance, you are Italian and European not because your skin is white, yellow, red or green…,” said Tajani.
“[You are Italian] because you have those ideas inside of you, because you live those values.”
Forza Italia has outlined a roadmap to draft a proposal in September to change current legislation, with the support of opposition parties Azione, Italia Viva and the Five-Star Movement.
The opposition Democratic Party (PD) favours ius soli (law of the soil), under which children born in Italy to foreign parents would automatically become citizens.
However, PD has signalled that it is open to discuss the proposed changes.
ANSA
