"You didn't fight to become Italian" and "you got it for free." (Sic) "A citizenship by blood." It was with these statements that the representative of the Italian Association Movement Abroad in Brazil, Fabio Fasoli, marked his participation in a broadcast of a debate promoted by Insieme magazine this Thursday (6).
The statement was made during a meeting aimed at discussing the position of Italian political parties, with their representatives in Brazil, regarding the referendum on the judiciary scheduled for March.
The tone adopted by Fasoli provoked a political reaction and quickly began circulating in Italian citizen groups on social media, where it generated criticism and expressions of outrage.
During the debate, Fasoli stated that descendants of Italians did not fight to obtain citizenship and that the recognition of this right stems from a historical choice by the Italian State.
“You didn’t conquer anything, you were given a citizenship by blood that Italy introduced in 1865 in the Code, because historically Italy wanted to advance the concept of blood. Therefore, you didn’t fight to become Italian, okay? I was born in Italy, I am Italian by blood, but I was born in Italy. So, today, like all descendants who are born Italian, you must have the respect to recognize that Italy gives you the right to recognize yourselves after three or four generations, in a clear, humble and respectful way, because nobody owes anything to anyone,” he said.
Fasoli, who is president of Comites/MG and has an office that works with Italian citizenship, participated in the debate as a representative of MAIE Brazil.
The statement provoked an immediate reaction from the deputy. Fabio Porta, who criticized the party representative's stance and again questioned MAIE's role in political discussions related to Italian citizenship.
According to Porta, the statement reinforces the reasons that, in his assessment, explain the party's continued support for the Italian government, even after measures that affected citizenship rights.
"The spokesperson for MAIE Brazil confirmed, through their statements, the reasons that led this party-movement to remain in the governing coalition responsible for taking away our right to citizenship. MAIE had a pathetic and embarrassing performance during the parliamentary process of the so-called..." 'decree of shame' "And today it appears mobilized, as never before, in support of the Justice reform promoted by the Meloni-Tajani government. It is no coincidence that important leaders of this party-movement in Brazil have distanced themselves from or become some of the main critics of this stance, which I consider opportunistic and inconsistent," said Porta.
The debate promoted by the magazine focused on discussing the position of the representatives, in Brazil, of the Italian parties regarding the referendum on Justice that will be held in Italy. scheduled for March 22nd and 23rd, 2026.
