The ruling centre-right party Forza Italia (FI) introduced a citizenship bill on Saturday to reduce the time migrant children need to obtain Italian citizenship to 10 years.
Meanwhile, the youth wing of its coalition partner, the League, launched an attack on FI leader and Deputy Premier, Antonio Tajani, accusing him of being a “migrant trafficker” due to his efforts to speed up the process of granting citizenship to migrant children.
The FI’s “Ius Italiae” bill proposes that migrant children can become Italian citizens after completing 10 years of compulsory education. “You’d be Italian because you were educated in Italy,” said Tajani.
League’s youth wing call Tajani a “migrant smuggler”
During the League’s annual rally at Pontida in northern Italy, the League’s youth wing displayed a banner that read: “Ius scholae in sight, Tajani a (migrant) smuggler?”, referring to a previous FI proposal to grant citizenship to migrant children after five years of schooling. Citizenship for migrant children remains a contentious issue in Italy, with the Left advocating for “Ius Soli,” which would grant automatic citizenship to those born in Italy.
League leader Matteo Salvini, who is also the Deputy Premier and Transport Minister, apologised to Tajani for the banner. “I apologise on their behalf. Every ally is a friend,” said Salvini. Tajani responded, “For me too, every ally is a friend. Loyalty is the principle on which the centre-right is based.” However, Salvini reiterated that the League does not support any changes to the current citizenship laws.
Currently, children born to migrant parents in Italy can apply for citizenship when they turn 18, and the process typically takes a couple of years. Salvini stated, “The citizenship law is fine as it is and is not a priority.”
Right-wing rally in Pontida
On Sunday, Pontida will host a historic gathering of the European far-right. This year’s event is expected to be the most ‘sovereignist’ ever, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as the star guest. Orban replaces Marine Le Pen, who will send a video message.
The rally will also feature leaders from the Patriots for Europe group, which includes Spanish Vox spokesperson Jose Antonio Fuster, Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders, Portuguese Andrè Ventura from Chega, and Austrian Marlene Svazek of the FPO.
The European Patriots group is seen as more extreme than Premier Giorgia Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists caucus, which includes Poland’s Law and Justice party and the Sweden Democrats. Additionally, figures from the Europe of Sovereign Nations group, such as French firebrand Eric Zemmour and Germany’s Alternative for Germany, will also be present.
