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.
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