Italy has changed, needs citizenship reform says Tajani

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 21 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of Forza Italia (FI), told Rome daily La Repubblica in an interview published on Wednesday that "Italy has changed" and needs a citizenship reform.
    "It's what our country needs", he told the paper, denying he had a "backroom agreement" on the issue with the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, which has long championed a change in citizenship rules.
    "I didn't talk to (PD leader Elly) Schlein for a backroom accord.
    "I'm not working on the side with the PD.
    "It's what I've always thought - it's what our country needs", he said.
    In the interview, Tajani acknowledged that his government partners - Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League party - are not in favour of a change: "It's true, it's not in the program, but there isn't always everything in government programs, it's possible to enrich them" He said the reform "is not our priority, there are others: the economy and the prison emergency.
    "However, we are not one party, each one of us has their own ideas", he noted, adding that the government didn't fall because members voted differently on re-confirming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second mandate "or if we promote our ideas on citizenship".
    Forza Italia (FI) last week expressed willingness to consider a reform on citizenship, outlining a roadmap to draft a proposal in September to change the current legislation, with the support of opposition parties Azione, Italia Viva and the Five-Star Movement (M5S).
    The Democratic Left is less keen on Forza Italia's idea of a '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 studies rather than the 'ius soli' it is championing (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 after they have turned 18.
    The Brothers of Italy (FdI) party has not shown interest in reforming the current legislation and Salvini has said there is no need for a change. (ANSA).