Latest news with #IgnazioLaRussa
Local Italy
4 days ago
- Politics
- Local Italy
Italy's Meloni 'completely against' easing citizenship rules as key vote nears
'Citizenship laws in Italy are excellent and also very inclusive,' Meloni said as the country prepared for a key vote on reducing the current 10-year residency requirement for naturalisation claims to five years. 'I'm completely against' the proposed citizenship reform, she added, noting that Italy has long been 'among the European countries that grant the highest number of citizenships every year". The Italian premier's words came three days after she said she would go to her polling station but not vote in any of the June 8th-9th referendums, including the citizenship vote, sparking cries of outrage among members of the opposition. Meloni defended her decision to abstain from voting on Thursday, 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. proposed labour and citizenship reforms, publicly called on supporters to boycott the upcoming vote. Under Italy's voting laws, referendums must meet a voter turnout (or quorum) of over 50 percent for their results to be considered valid. If this threshold is not met, the results are automatically void, regardless of the outcome. Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa said in late May he would "campaign to ensure that people stay home" on polling day to prevent the referendums from reaching the required turnout. MP Grazia Di Maggio also encouraged abstention, saying that 'Italians will have better things to do [than voting] on June 8th and 9th'. The government's attempts to boycott the upcoming referendums have prompted vehement reactions from opposition members. The leader of the centrist +Europa party, Riccardo Magi, condemned the hard-right coalition's 'coordinated strategy' to sabotage the referendums, saying it showed 'a lack of awareness of the institutions and role they hold'. Italy needs 'a democratic rebellion' to fight abstentionism, he added.
Euronews
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Video. Italy marks Republic Day with military parade in Rome
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa, and President Sergio Mattarella attended the parade, applauding the participants as they made their way along Via dei Fori Imperiali. The day, known as Festa della Repubblica, commemorates the 1946 referendum in which Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic, following the collapse of Fascism. The celebrations concluded with a flypast by the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force's aerobatic team, which released trails of green, white and red smoke over the Colosseum.
Mint
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
New rule for Italian citizenship: 2.5 million non-EU residents may be eligible despite PM Giorgia Meloni's resistance
Over 1.4 million non-EU residents could become eligible for Italian citizenship if Italy passes a new law in the upcoming June 8–9 referendum, according to a study by research centre Idos. Right now, non-EU nationals must live in Italy for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship. The proposed reform will reduce this to five years. If passed, nearly 1.14 million adults and 2.29 lakh children will qualify. Another 55,000 children may get citizenship automatically if their parents become citizens. According to estimates by the +Europa party, about 2.5 million residents will become eligible for Italian citizenship. However, not everyone will qualify. About 7 lakh people may still be ineligible because they don't meet the income requirement. To apply, individuals must earn at least €8,263.31 ( ₹ 8 lakh) annually or more if they are unmarried. If someone is married, they need an annual income of €11,362.05 ( ₹ 11 lakh). For each child, they must have an annual incomde of €516 ( ₹ 50,000). These income rules will remain the same. Among other rules, applicants must prove their proficiency in the Italian language. They will have to appear for a test to pass the B1 level. The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) test checks skills in grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening and making correct sentences. It is used to measure language levels in Europe. For the referendum to be valid, over 50% of voters must take part. Local news reports suggest that this might not happen as voter turnout in Italy is usually low. Since 1995, only four out of 29 referendums in Italy have met the required voter turnout. Italy's right-wing government, led by PM Giorgia Meloni, is not supporting it. Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa has said he wants people to stay home (and not vote), according to The Local. Matteo Salvini's League party is also promoting a boycott. A party memo even asked members to help stop people from voting. Salvini, who earlier supported referendums, now says he'll go to the beach instead.
