O jornal The newspaper, one of the most influential in Italy, published a text on May 1st in defense of the right to citizenship for descendants of Italians living outside the country.
Signed by the editorial director Vittorio Feltri, the vehicle harshly criticized the government decree that intends to restrict the transmission of citizenship, classifying the measure as offensive and harmful to the historical bond with millions of emigrant families.
The demonstration was a response to the former Italian-Brazilian deputy Luis Roberto Lorenzato. He had positioned himself against the text, which proposes limiting the recognition of citizenship to those living outside Italy. The decree treats direct descendants as potential threats to national security.
“Labeling us as a 'risk factor' is unfair and offensive,” wrote Lorenzato, denouncing that the measure breaks historical ties with Italian communities in Latin America, especially in Brazil and Argentina.
In the article, Feltri stated that the descendants maintain a legitimate connection with Italy and deserve formal recognition. He recalled the work of former minister Mirko Tremaglia, who was responsible for ensuring the right to vote for immigrants, and criticized the use of security as a justification for denying the right to citizenship. “That the government itself denies the Italianness of these people for 'security reasons' is an odious paradox,” wrote.
The editorial director acknowledged that there had been fraud in Italian consulates, but he considered that these cases did not justify penalizing legitimate communities. According to him, many descendants maintain traditions, language and cultural identity even after generations away from Italy.
As an example, he cited Botuverá, a city in Santa Catarina where the dialect “Brazilian Bergamasco” is still spoken about in city council sessions. “Every year the Bergamasca Festival takes place, where the roots are celebrated with songs, dances and typical Alpine cuisine,” he highlighted.
Feltri also positioned himself against the replacement of blood law (jus sanguinis) by the right of soil (ius soli), a system used by countries that grant citizenship based solely on place of birth. For him, this cosmopolitan logic ignores history and dilutes national identity.
“They believe that the only valid homeland is the world, and that the nation is an outdated concept,” the director wrote, warning of proposals that would allow automatic citizenship to anyone who lives five years in Italy.
In the end, he classified the descendants as “natural ambassadors of Italianness”, and stated that these communities are more effective in spreading the Made in Italy than official foreign trade actions.
The decree restricting the right to citizenship was proposed by Antonio Tajani, current Italian Foreign Minister and president of the Forza Italia party — a party founded by Silvio Berlusconi.
It is worth remembering that The newspaper is part of the Berlusconi family holding company. The newspaper is one of the most influential in Italy, with a circulation of 60.554 copies, and its portal receives about 35 million visitors monthly.
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