The League, led by Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and ally of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, took the front line in the opposition to Decree-Law 36 which restricts access to Italian citizenship by descent (ius sanguinis). With efficient articulation, the party reversed the political scenario within the governing coalition.
The rule, signed by Antonio Tajani — also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, president of the party Forza Italy (FI) —, determines that only descendants with at least one grandparent born in Italy can recognize citizenship. The League reacted immediately, accusing the text of violating the principle of jus sanguinis — the right to citizenship by blood ties.
Until then considered a balancing force in the government, the League managed to pressure the Fratelli d'Italia to change its stance. Although Meloni's party did not publicly oppose the decree, it presented amendments and began to consider it “too restrictive”. Tajani, the author of the proposal, was isolated even within his party.
The League's argument is twofold. In addition to electoral interests — since many applicants live in regions historically linked to Italian emigration, such as Veneto, Friuli and Lombardy, the party's bases — there is a question of principle. For the leghistas, the requirement of birth in Italian territory violates the legal tradition of jus sanguinis.
Other grassroots groups, such as the Moderates linked to MAIE (Associative Movement of Italians Abroad), also opposed it from the beginning. If the decree is not approved by Parliament within 60 days, it will lose its validity.
If the amendment proposed by the League is rejected, there is a risk that the party will vote against the final text. In this scenario, the political damage could be significant and jeopardize the stability of the coalition led by Meloni.
Internal pressure and external reactions
The dispute went beyond Italian borders. The most intense reaction came from where the government least expected it: the Brazil.
Major parties in Brazil such as MDB and PL, as well as traditional associations such as the Christian Association of Italian Workers (ACLI), Trentini in the World e Italian nel Mondo, for example, released official statements criticizing the decree. On social media, the profiles of Tajani, Salvini and Meloni were flooded with criticism from descendants who feel directly affected.
The mobilization also reached the diplomatic corps. Ambassadors from Latin American countries met in Rome to discuss the decree. The Brazilian ambassador in Rome, Renato Mosca de Souza, also participated. Brazil is an important trading partner of Italy.
Newspapers and personalities from the Italian-Brazilian community classified the measure as “exclusionary” and “unfair”, fueling a wave of mobilization.
Amid the protests, the online campaign “Change the legge or boycottiamo i prodotti italiani” (“Change the law or we will boycott Italian products”).
Although it does not pose an immediate threat to the Italian economy, the government fears that international rejection of the decree could fuel a boycott that gains momentum and echo among communities of descendants abroad.
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