Forza Italia opens to opposition on ius scholae, anger of Lega and FdI

Forza Italia challenges its government allies and relaunches the "ius Italiae" , announcing that it wants to put the citizenship reform to the vote, despite the opposition of the League and FdI. "We are ready to discuss it with everyone - says Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani - Parliament is sovereign. Whoever wants to vote for our proposal, vote for it".

So, numbers permitting, the Azzurri would be ready to pass the ius Italiae, as they call their measure , even by breaking away from the rest of the majority. In fact, members of the Northern League and Melonians are quick to reiterate their no. "A technically incorrect proposal", "unacceptable" even "from a political point of view", states Salvini's Rossano Sasso. While the immigration manager of Fratelli d'Italia, Sara Kelany, sharply underlines: "The citizenship law is fine for us and, given the outcome of the referendums, it is also fine for the citizens".

On the opposition front , the PD opens cautiously by asking the blues to schedule the text and start working on the contents, while the M5S, through Giuseppe Conte, urges them to act quickly : "The ius scholae is a battle we have been fighting for years, let's do it now". The main fear is that it is a "boutade", a "summer chatter" but, despite this, there is no shortage of parliamentarians who are coming forward to accept and relaunch the challenge of numbers in the Chamber. "If FI brings a law on the ius scholae to the vote, Azione will support it with conviction", Carlo Calenda says. While from Iv Matteo Renzi urges Tajani: "He is so afraid of the prime minister that he will not bring to the Chamber what he says, what he said, a year ago, at the meeting in Rimini. A little courage, have the strength to defend his ideas!". For Riccardo Magi of Più Europa "we will discuss the merits, even if we fear that once again FI is not serious".

Same doubt insinuated by Avs: "If this time there will be a concrete bill that actually arrives in Parliament, we will be ready to discuss the merits, with the clear objective of extending rights to those who live, study and work in Italy without being citizens", say Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni. In the PD, the reformists are pushing for the opening to Forza Italia, but then the whole party says it is ready for dialogue: "FI should schedule the measure immediately and let's start working in the commissions on the texts", urges the first signatory of the party's bill on citizenship, MP Ouidad Bakkali. The party's Immigration representative, Pierfrancesco Majorino, points out that, "starting from our organic bill on Ius soli, we are open to discussion with everyone, therefore also with Forza Italia. We say this, even though we consider that proposal of the ius scholae very partial and distant from ours". But there is a first obstacle on the road to convergence: Tajani says he does not intend to negotiate. "The rule about ten years" of schooling to obtain citizenship "is a severe but fair rule", the PD's proposal is "five years and that's not good", he underlines.

If the entire center-left voted with FI in favor of the ius Italiae, the law could pass, the reasoning in blue circles, where some even hypothesize a sort of freedom of conscience across the political lines to push the measure forward. "Forcing is useless, it is counterproductive and only risks breaking the unity of the coalition", warns Maurizio Lupi from Noi Moderati. And the Northern League's Silvia Sardone teases: "I invite those who make this proposal to look at the outcome of the citizenship referendum. Let's make proposals on what Italians want".

There is ice in Giorgia Meloni's party, who however is not upset: "It is not part of the FdI program and we do not believe that there is a pressing need with respect to this issue - Kelany clarifies -, but we do not experience FI's declarations as a problem". The leader of Forza Italia does not give up and explains that the blues will ask to introduce the Ius Italiae. Except, then, to specify that there is no rush: in Parliament for now "everything is clogged up, there are seven decrees and the justice reform, our absolute priority".