What they feared most may happen. After the approval of the decree limiting the recognition of Italian citizenship only to children and grandchildren, the government led by Giorgia Meloni, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini risks facing a political backlash on a global scale.
The measure, approved on Friday, March 28, was received as a gesture of exclusion by millions of descendants of Italians living outside Italy.
By restricting the right to citizenship, the government sent the message that people of Italian descent — especially their children and grandchildren — are no longer welcome as part of the Italian nation.
There are millions of people – with the right to vote – who maintain ties to Italy through blood, culture and history. Many of them work directly to promote the Italian image abroad, boosting brands, tourism, gastronomy and the Made in Italy:. Now, this same network could turn against the trio in power, or in future elections.
The reaction can come where it hurts most: at the polls. Since 2006, Italians abroad have had the right to vote. And in the last elections, right-wing parties such as those of Meloni, Tajani and Salvini had significant support from this base. With the new decree, this support could turn into rejection.
More than a reflection of the moment, the tension reveals an old fear. Sectors of Italian politics have always been suspicious of the electoral strength of the diaspora. There was a fear that votes from South America, Europe and other regions could directly interfere in the course of Italian domestic politics.
Now, this fear could become a reality. “They can experience the strength of Italians abroad in a different way: fury,” says businessman Pedro Baldan. “What used to be pride can now be revolt. And we can now show our strength in the referendum,” he says.
On the 8th and 9th, Italy will hold a referendum that could reduce the time required for immigrants to apply for citizenship by residency from ten to five years.
The message sent by the Italian government — as announced in the decree — is that distant descendants, even with documented ties, represent a risk to national security and identity. This provoked indignation among community leaders and politicians from the allied base itself.
League lawmakers including Dimitri Coin and Graziano Pizzimenti have publicly criticized the decision. Coin called it “incredible” that the decision would close the doors to descendants of regions such as Veneto and Piedmont, while discussions are underway to grant automatic citizenship to young immigrants born in Italy.
As a result, what was supposed to be a technical measure has become a potential strategic error. Meloni, Tajani and Salvini risk becoming the faces of a historic exclusion — and paying for it in the next elections.
The government is already showing signs of wear and tear. Sectors of the base are asking for changes to the text when the decree goes to Parliament. Even so, the symbolic damage has been done.
In Italy, where symbols and roots carry real political weight, turning one’s back on millions of descendants could cost one dearly. And that price, diaspora leaders say, will be exacted vote by vote.
