During the plenary assembly of the General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE)During a meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Rome on Monday, June 16, advisors pressed the minister... Antonio Tajani More dialogue and review of the new Italian citizenship law.
Tajani defended the reform as “necessary” and stated that the text is “improvable”, although it has already “put order” in the consulates.
The meeting was attended by CGIE Secretary General Maria Chiara Prodi, who advocated a more inclusive and transparent approach to legislation. “Citizenship was already a priority for us. We were developing a proposal that we hope can be taken up again, as it was more straightforward: a citizenship law that recognizes up to the third generation and that demonstrates a true bond with Italy through culture,” she said.
Prodi criticized, however, the exclusion of CGIE discussions and reinforced that decisions about belonging require active listening to communities. “We know the problems that existed and we want to understand how they were addressed. We want to know what vision of the future is behind citizenship. We maintained the ius sanguinis, but we did not enter into the ius soli”, she pointed out. She also rejected any “attack on dual citizenship” and asked for clarification on the “transferability” of the right.
According to the Secretary General, “the decisions were made without our participation, and they are decisions that cause confusion and frustration in our communities.” Prodi also stated that the CGIE wants to review the new provisions: “the future of our children concerns us directly. Our collaboration is full. We need to be considered allies.”
In response, Tajani recalled the problems prior to the reform. “In many countries, Italian citizenship was being sold. There were agencies that provided false documents. There were 'Black Fridays' for citizenship in Argentina and Brazil. I spent a lot of time as an Italian abroad, I know what it means to be Italian, and citizenship is a serious matter.”
According to the minister, “citizenship isn’t just about having a passport in your pocket. Something needed to be done.” He stated that the government’s text has already been modified and improved in Parliament, and that “everything can be improved.” “It was time to end the abuses. Many people were profiting from Italian citizenship.”
The 63 members of the CGIE council will continue their discussions on the agenda in Rome until June 20th. This Tuesday, the 17th, they will be received by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale Palace.
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