"Italy's government opts out of 'risky' citizenship ballot"
Italy's Right-Wing Coalition Urges Boycott of Citizenship Referendum
Italy's upcoming referendum on reducing residency requirements for citizenship is facing opposition from key figures within the country's right-wing government, who are actively encouraging their supporters not to vote.
The referendum, which seeks to halve the current 10-year residency requirement for applying for Italian citizenship, will take place in less than three weeks. However, with recent trends pointing to a low probability of meeting the 50% voter turnout threshold, the right-wing coalition seems determined to ensure the referendum is nullified.
Several members from the ruling Brothers of Italy and League parties have openly endorsed abstention, with Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa leading the charge. He has publicly stated his intention to campaign for people to stay home, and reports suggest that Brothers of Italy leadership has sent a memo to party members urging a boycott of the referendum.
Meanwhile, Igor Iezzi, an MP from Deputy PM Matteo Salvini's League party, has confirmed that abstention is their party's official position, stating, "our goal is to prevent the quorum from being reached."
Italy's right-wing government is against the referendum, arguing that it would make it too easy for foreigners to obtain citizenship. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, has thus far remained silent on the issue, but Salvini himself has stated he'll be spending the voting day at the beach.
This boycott tactic has been met with outrage from the opposition, who argue that it's not standard for a governing party to discourage its citizens from exercising their democratic right to vote. However, the government has defended its position, citing previous instances in which left-wing administrations also called on voters to abstain in referendums.
The movement Italiani senza cittadinanza (Italians without citizenship) is one of the main organizations advocating for the referendum, hoping it would simplify the process for legal residents looking to become Italian citizens. As currently stands, people born to foreign parents in Italy must wait until they are 18 to apply for citizenship and prove 10 years of uninterrupted residency.
Although the right-wing coalition's boycott efforts could potentially derail the referendum, it is unclear whether they will be successful in preventing the necessary turnout. It remains to be seen how the Italian public will respond to the government's calls to abstain, and whether the referendum will proceed as scheduled.
- Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, has yet to express her views on the upcoming referendum, but her party ally Matteo Salvini has announced his intention to spend voting day at the beach.
- The right-wing coalition, which includes the Brothers of Italy and League parties, is urging its supporters to boycott the citizenship referendum, aiming to prevent the 50% voter turnout threshold.
- Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa is leading the charge in advocating for abstention, with various members within the ruling parties openly endorsing this approach.
- The referendum, if passed, would reduce the current 10-year residency requirement for applying for Italian citizenship, a move opposed by Italy's right-wing government, who believe it would make citizenship too easy for foreigners.
- The opposition arguments against the boycott strategy include the assertion that it goes against the expectations of democratic society for governing parties to discourage their citizens from voting, citing instances of left-wing administrations also calling for abstention in referendums.
- Italiani senza cittadinanza (Italians without citizenship), an organization advocating for the simplification of the citizenship process, hopes the referendum would benefit legal residents looking to become Italian citizens, currently required to wait until they are 18 and prove 10 years of uninterrupted residency.
