Latest news with #MatteoPiantedosi
Local Italy
28-05-2025
- Local Italy
Italy court overturns ban on self check-ins for holiday rentals
The ban was introduced by Italy's interior ministry on November 18th, abruptly ending popular remote check-in practices for guests and forcing property owners to carry out check-in operations in person. Italy's interior ministry said at the time that the measure sought to 'prevent public order and safety risks in relation to the possible accommodation of dangerous individuals or those linked to criminal or terrorist organisations". The absence of 'in-person identification of guests' meant that properties 'could be occupied by [...] individuals whose identities remain unknown' to police, it added. The ministry ban was followed by a spate of police operations aimed at removing key boxes in cities around the country, with the move sparking anger among the thousands of holidaymakers and property owners relying on self-check-in methods. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, Lazio's Regional Administrative Court (TAR) overturned the previous interior ministry directive, saying that it lacked sufficient legal grounds and placed disproportionate burdens on property owners. 'In-person identification is not, in itself, capable of ensuring public order and security, which is the explicit aim of the circular,' the court said. The ban doesn't have 'adequate justifications for the obligation it imposes,' it added. Italian holiday rental association FARE welcomed Tuesday's ruling, saying that safety concerns 'cannot be used as an excuse to slow down the evolution of the [rental] sector and place undue responsibilities on those who operate within the law". Besides not being justified 'by real needs', the ban 'violated the principles of legality' and placed an 'excessive burden' on the non-hotel accommodation sector, FARE added. Italy's interior minister Matteo Piantedosi hasn't yet commented on the ruling. However, a ministry spokesperson told Italian media that the minister would wait for the court to publish the full list of reasons behind the ruling before deciding whether to appeal to a higher administrative court. Italian media reports said the Lazio court ruling only applied to the national ban enforced on November 18th. Bans on self check-ins introduced by individual municipalities (comuni) around the country wouldn't be affected, meaning any local ordinances would remain in place, they said. Florence Mayor Sara Funaro told La Nazione that the court's verdict wouldn't affect a city-wide ban on key boxes introduced in late February. 'We acknowledge the court's decision, but it doesn't affect our regulations,' she said. 'The ban remains in place.' Following TAR's ruling, however, members of Florence's right-wing opposition urged Funaro to immediately repeal the municipal ban. Marco Stella, head of the Tuscany branch of the Forza Italia party, said the court's decision was 'a definitive blow to the anti-holiday-rental policies put in place by the Florence city administration'. He also called on Funaro 'to immediately scrap the ridiculous and inquisitorial mission' against holiday rentals.
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Italian interior minister condemns Indian aggression in meeting with President Zardari
Listen to article Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, along with his delegation, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday and discussed ways to increase bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. Welcoming the Italian Interior Minister, the president said that Pakistan greatly valued its ties with Italy and remained determined to improve mutually beneficial cooperation in diverse sectors. The president discussed with the Italian Interior Minister India's unprovoked military aggression against Pakistan that had targeted innocent civilians, including women, children and the elderly. He deplored that the extremist Indian regime had endangered the peace and stability of the entire South Asian region, adding that hostile Indian actions would have dangerous consequences for the region. The minister expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs who lost their lives in the Indian attack on Pakistan last night. He remarked that he would convey Pakistan's concerns to his government as well as the international community to end the current situation. He further stated that Pakistan and Italy were cooperating against human trafficking and terrorism. He stated that there was great scope for economic cooperation between the two countries, adding that the 160,000-strong Pakistani diaspora in Italy was well integrated and contributing positively towards Italian society and their development. President Zardari thanked the Italian minister for visiting Pakistan during such a critical period. Later, the president witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding to increase cooperation on curbing illegal migration and facilitating legal migration and labour mobility for skilled and educated Pakistani workers to Italy.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vatican: 150,000 people lined streets of Rome to bid pope farewell
Some 150,000 people watched Pope Francis' funeral procession through Rome from the roadside, according to estimates by the Vatican. The pontiff's coffin was brought to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the pope's favourite church in central Rome, in an old popemobile, following the funeral service in St Peter's Square. The convoy travelled through the centre of Rome, passing some of its best-known sites including the Forum and Colosseum, accompanied by several escort vehicles and police motorbikes. Some 250,000 gathered for the funeral service, both in St Peter's Square itself and in the surrounding streets. In total, the authorities counted around 400,000 people, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said, according to media reports.
Local Italy
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Local Italy
Italy grants citizenship to Under the Tuscan Sun author Frances Mayes
Cabinet ministers approved a proposal submitted by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to grant Mayes citizenship "for special merits," the government said in a statement on Friday. Born in Georgia, Mayes, 85, currently divides her time between her home in Cortona, Tuscany, and North Carolina. Her 1996 memoir recounts her purchase and renovation of a dilapidated villa in the hilltop Tuscan town. The book was later turned into a film of the same name starring Diane Lane, who received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance. Under the Tuscan Sun spent more than two years on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was a New York Times Notable Book of 1997. As of 2016, it had been translated into 54 languages. The government's move comes just weeks after it drastically tightened access to Italian citizenship by descent (or citizenship iure sanguinis). The previous system placed no generational limit on applications, with people able to qualify for citizenship through an ancestor going all the way back to March 17th, 1861 – when the Kingdom of Italy was created. But under new rules that took immediate effect on March 28th, only people with an Italian parent or grandparent born in Italy, or with an Italian parent who lived in Italy for at least two continuous years, now qualify for citizenship. The move is believed to have stripped millions of people of Italian descent the right to apply for citizenship. With reporting from AFP.
Ya Biladi
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Eurpean Commission declares Morocco and six others as «safe countries» to curb asylum claims
The European Commission unveiled a new list of so-called «safe countries» regarding migration on Wednesday, which includes seven countries: Morocco, Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, and Tunisia. This classification aims to reduce the chances of granting asylum to citizens of these countries by expediting the processing of their applications, on the assumption that they generally do not meet the criteria required for refugee status, thereby facilitating their deportation. The Commission explained that the inclusion of these countries on the list aims to address the increasing number of migrants coming from them to the European Union, with the presumption that asylum seekers from these countries are not, in principle, subject to systematic persecution or direct threats to their lives, which justifies their classification as «safe countries of origin». Although several European countries, such as France, have their national lists of «safe countries», the European Union had not yet adopted a unified list encompassing all its members. The Commission believes that this disparity in standards between countries encourages asylum seekers to head toward specific countries with more flexible systems. The Commission noted that candidate countries for EU membership generally meet the necessary conditions to be considered «safe countries». To approve this list, the consent of the European Parliament and EU member states is required, which may open the door to extensive political debate, given the sensitivity of the issue and potential divisions among the twenty-seven countries. Italy was one of the most prominent supporters of this approach, describing the announcement of the list as a «success for the Italian government». Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stated that the far-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni was elected based on its pledges to tighten immigration policy and has worked diligently to review this list, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The Commission had proposed a similar list in 2015 but later withdrew it due to disagreements over the inclusion of Turkey, given its concerning situation in areas such as human rights, judicial independence, and press freedom.
