Meloni firmly opposes liberalizing Italian citizenship requirements ahead of a crucial vote.
Breaking: Italy's Citizenship & Labor Reforms Take Center Stage
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has weighed in on the controversial proposed reforms to ease Italy's requirements for naturalization claims. With a landmark citizenship referendum looming, Meloni expressed her "complete opposition" to the changes.
"Citizenship laws in Italy are top-notch and inclusive," Meloni declared as the nation geared up for a key vote that could slash the current 10-year residency requirement for naturalization claims to just five years.
Italy has consistently been one of the European countries issuing the highest number of citizenships annually. Meloni's stance against the proposed reform echoed similar sentiments from her government, which has vehemently opposed both the labor and citizenship reforms.
READ MORE: FACT CHECK: Does Italy dishing out more citizenships than any EU nation?
Several days before her statement, Meloni garnered criticism when she announced she wouldn't cast a vote in any of the June 8-9 referendums, including the citizenship vote. This move was met with outrage from opposition members.
Defending her decision to abstain, Meloni maintained that abstention was a matter of individual choice. "When you disagree with the subjects of the referendums," she explained, "abstention is an available option."
Multiple cabinet members have publicly advocated for supporters to boycott the upcoming vote, fueling debate.
READ MORE: "Stay home": Italy's government steering clear of "dangerous" citizenship vote.
The Italian voting laws stipulate that for the results of a referendum to be considered valid, a voter turnout (or quorum) of over 50% is required. Failure to meet this threshold leads to the automatic nullification of the results, regardless of their outcome.
Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa has publicly stated his intention to persuade people to stay home on polling day to prevent the referendums from reaching the required turnout. Interestingly, MP Grazia Di Maggio also encouraged abstention, stating that ordinary Italians had "better things to do" on June 8-9.
The government's attempts at boycotting the referendums have kicked off a maelstrom of criticism from opposition parties and activists. Riccardo Magi, head of the centrist +Europa party, declared the hard-right coalition's strategy to undermine the referendums as a reflection of "lack of understanding of the institutions and the roles they hold."
Magi urged for a "democratic insurrection" to combat abstentionism. Keep an eye on the Italian citizenship section of our website for the latest on this unfolding story.
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- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opposes the proposed citizenship reforms that aim to reduce the residency requirement for naturalization from 10 years to 5 years, questioning whether Italy issues the highest number of citizenships among EU nations.
- Meloni's stance against the reforms is shared by her government, which has also opposed labor reforms, and she has faced criticism for abstaining from the June 8-9 referendums, including the citizenship vote.
- Cabinet members have publicly advocated for supporters to boycott the upcoming vote, which, according to Italian voting laws, requires a voter turnout of more than 50% to be considered valid.
- Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa and MP Grazia Di Maggio have advocated for people to stay home on polling day to prevent the referendums from reaching the required turnout.
- The hard-right coalition's strategy to boycott the referendums has faced criticism from opposition parties and activists, with the head of the centrist +Europa party, Riccardo Magi, urging for a "democratic insurrection" to combat abstentionism.
