Italians who use English and other foreign words in official communications could face fines of up to €100.000 under new legislation introduced by the prime minister's Brothers of Italy party. Giorgia Meloni.
Fabio Rampelli, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies, presented the legislation, which has the support of Meloni.
While the legislation covers all foreign languages, it is particularly aimed at “Anglomania” or use of English words, which the bill claims “demeans and mortifies” the Italian language, adding that it is even worse because the UK no longer does part of the European Union.
The bill, which has not yet been submitted for parliamentary debate, requires anyone holding a position in public administration to have “written and oral knowledge and command of the Italian language”.
It also prohibits the use of English in official documentation, including “acronyms and names” of positions in companies operating in the country.
Foreign entities would have to have Italian editions of all internal regulations and employment contracts, according to a bill seen by the CNN.
“It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions go, but Anglomania has repercussions on society as a whole,” states the bill.
The first article of the legislation guarantees that even in offices dealing with non-Italian speaking foreigners, Italian must be the main language used.
Article 2 would make Italian “mandatory for the promotion and use of public goods and services within the national territory”. Failure to do so can result in fines of between €5.000 (R$27,5 thousand) and €100.000 (R$550 thousand).
Under the proposed law, the Ministry of Culture would establish a committee whose mandate would include “the correct use of the Italian language and its pronunciation” in schools, media, commerce and advertising.
The measure to protect the Italian language joins an existing government bid to protect the country's cuisine, which bans so-called synthetic or cell-based cuisine due to a lack of scientific studies on the effects of synthetic foods, as well as “to safeguard the heritage of our nation and our agriculture based on the Mediterranean diet”, said the minister Horace Schillaci at a press conference.
Last week, Italy's Ministers of Culture and Agriculture officially entered Italian cuisine into the candidacy for status as UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will be decided in December 2025. (CNN)
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