Italy holds referendum on citizenship and workers' rights
A non-EU adult resident without marriage or blood ties to Italy must currently live in the country for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship -- a process which can then take years.
The referendum proposal, triggered by a grassroots campaign led by NGOs, would cut this to five years, putting Italy in line with Germany and France.
Campaigners say around 2.5 million people could benefit from the reform, which is being backed by the centre-left Democratic Party.
Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party has prioritised cutting illegal immigration even while increasing the number of legal work visas for migrants, is strongly against it.
She said Thursday that the current system "is an excellent law, among the most open, in the sense that we have for years been among the European nations that grant the highest number of citizenships each year".
More than 213,500 people acquired Italian citizenship in 2023, double the number in 2020 and one fifth of the European Union total, according to EU statistics.
More than 90 percent were from outside the bloc, mostly from Albania and Morocco, as well as Argentina and Brazil -- two countries with large Italian immigrant communities.
Ministers agreed in March to restrict the rights to citizenship of those with blood ties to Italy from four to two generations.
Meloni and her coalition partners have encouraged voters to boycott the referendum, which will only be valid if 50 percent of eligible voters plus one participate.
Even if it passes, the reform will not affect the migration law many consider the most unfair, that children born in Italy to foreign parents cannot request nationality until they reach 18.
Prominent rapper Ghali, who was born in Milan to Tunisian parents, has been an outspoken advocate changing the law for children, but nevertheless urged fans to back Sunday's vote as a step in the right direction.
"With a 'Yes' we ask that five years of life here are enough, not 10, to be part of this country," he wrote on Instagram.
Interests of workers
Under Italy's constitution, a referendum can be triggered by a petition signed by at least 500,000 voters.
This week's ballot includes one question on citizenship and four others on increasing protections for workers who are dismissed, in precarious situations or involved in workplace accidents.
The changes are being pushed by the left-wing CGIL trade union.
"We want to reverse a culture that has prioritised the interests of business over those of workers," CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini told AFP.
The Democratic Party is also backing the proposals -- even if it introduced some of the laws the CGIL wants to repeal while in office in the past.
The proposals are notably aimed at measures of the so-called Jobs Act, passed a decade ago by the government of the Democratic Party prime minister, Matteo Renzi, in order to liberalise the labour market.
Supporters say the act boosted employment but detractors say it made work more precarious.
Under new leadership, the Democratic Party -- which is polling at around 23 percent, behind Meloni's Brothers of Italy at about 30 percent, according to an SWG survey this week -- is seeking to woo working-class voters by backing the referendum reform.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Italy
an hour ago
- Local Italy
TELL US: How do you feel about the Italian citizenship referendum result?
Italian citizenship Italian voters have failed to back a landmark citizenship reform in a closely-watched national referendum. Share your reaction and how the result affects you. A reform that would have cut the waiting time to become eligible for Italian citizenship via residency (also known as naturalisation) from the current ten years down to five has failed after voter turnout in a closely-watched referendum fell short of the required threshold. We'd like to hear how you feel about the result and how it will affect your future plans. click here. More #Italian citizenship See Also
Local Italy
11 hours ago
- Local Italy
Paltry turnout dims Italy citizenship reform hopes as referendum enters second day
The citizenship referendum, which asks Italians to vote on a proposal to cut the current 10-year residency requirement for naturalisation claims down to five years, needs a voter turnout of over 50 percent for its result to be valid. If this threshold (or quorum) isn't met, the referendum won't count, whatever its result may be. As of 11pm on Sunday, voter turnout for the citizenship vote stood at 22.73 percent, according to Italy's interior ministry. Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna were the regions with the highest voter turnout, with 29.98 and 28.86 percent respectively. The lowest regional turnout figures were recorded in Trentino Alto Adige (16.13 percent), Calabria (16.22) and Sicily (16.32). Voter turnout in the other four referendums, which concern labour law provisions on unlawful dismissals, severance compensation in small businesses, employment contract conditions and contractors' liability over workplace injuries, also stood at around 22.7 percent. Polls around Italy reopened at 7am on Monday for the second and last voting day. Polling stations are set to close at 3pm, with final turnout figures expected to be released by Monday evening. Voter turnout in all five referendums was expected to fall well short of the quorum on Monday. According to Italian media projections, final voter participation was forecast to stand between 30 and 35 percent. The projections were in line with surveys conducted in the leadup to the vote, which forecast that only one in three Italians would head to the polls on June 8th-9th. Voter turnout in national referendums has historically been low in Italy. Of 77 referendums held over the past 50 years, only 39 met the voter threshold. And only four of those were held in the past 30 years. Political analysts had expressed concerns that the abstention rate may be particularly high in the June referendums after the ruling hard-right coalition, which strongly opposes the proposed labour and citizenship reforms, publicly called on its supporters to boycott the vote. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that she would go to her polling station but not vote in any of the referendums, including the citizenship vote, sparking cries of outrage among opposition members. Meloni later defended her decision to abstain from voting, saying that abstention was 'a right for everyone'. "I don't agree with the subjects of the referendums and, as has always been the case in the nation's history, when you don't agree, abstention is also an option," she said.
Local Italy
a day ago
- Local Italy
Italy holds referendum on citizenship and workers' rights
A non-EU adult resident without marriage or blood ties to Italy must currently live in the country for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship -- a process which can then take years. The referendum proposal, triggered by a grassroots campaign led by NGOs, would cut this to five years, putting Italy in line with Germany and France. Campaigners say around 2.5 million people could benefit from the reform, which is being backed by the centre-left Democratic Party. Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party has prioritised cutting illegal immigration even while increasing the number of legal work visas for migrants, is strongly against it. She said Thursday that the current system "is an excellent law, among the most open, in the sense that we have for years been among the European nations that grant the highest number of citizenships each year". More than 213,500 people acquired Italian citizenship in 2023, double the number in 2020 and one fifth of the European Union total, according to EU statistics. More than 90 percent were from outside the bloc, mostly from Albania and Morocco, as well as Argentina and Brazil -- two countries with large Italian immigrant communities. Ministers agreed in March to restrict the rights to citizenship of those with blood ties to Italy from four to two generations. Meloni and her coalition partners have encouraged voters to boycott the referendum, which will only be valid if 50 percent of eligible voters plus one participate. Even if it passes, the reform will not affect the migration law many consider the most unfair, that children born in Italy to foreign parents cannot request nationality until they reach 18. Prominent rapper Ghali, who was born in Milan to Tunisian parents, has been an outspoken advocate changing the law for children, but nevertheless urged fans to back Sunday's vote as a step in the right direction. "With a 'Yes' we ask that five years of life here are enough, not 10, to be part of this country," he wrote on Instagram. Interests of workers Under Italy's constitution, a referendum can be triggered by a petition signed by at least 500,000 voters. This week's ballot includes one question on citizenship and four others on increasing protections for workers who are dismissed, in precarious situations or involved in workplace accidents. The changes are being pushed by the left-wing CGIL trade union. "We want to reverse a culture that has prioritised the interests of business over those of workers," CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini told AFP. The Democratic Party is also backing the proposals -- even if it introduced some of the laws the CGIL wants to repeal while in office in the past. The proposals are notably aimed at measures of the so-called Jobs Act, passed a decade ago by the government of the Democratic Party prime minister, Matteo Renzi, in order to liberalise the labour market. Supporters say the act boosted employment but detractors say it made work more precarious. Under new leadership, the Democratic Party -- which is polling at around 23 percent, behind Meloni's Brothers of Italy at about 30 percent, according to an SWG survey this week -- is seeking to woo working-class voters by backing the referendum reform.
