Last-minute appeals for
parliament to fit in an immigrant children citizenship law
called 'ius soli' (law of the soil) before it is dissolved
appeared to be in vain Wednesday.
President Sergio Mattarella is set to dissolve parliament on
Thursday ahead of a general election in just over a couple of
months, parliamentary sources said this week.
The most likely election date is March 4.
The 'Italians without citizenship' group of immigrant
children has appealed to the president to allow parliament to
first approve 'ius soli'.
"I urge President Mattarella to give parliament two more
weeks to debate and pass ius soli," said Luigi Manconi, a
Senator for the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
"I urge him to do so, with the confidence that is due to a
gentleman whose intellectual rectitude and social sensitivity is
well known," said Manconi.
The Green Party, for their part, appealed to Senate Speaker
Pietro Grasso "to convene the Senate before the end of the
year".
Gianni Cuperlo, former chair of the PD, said "the PD must ask
Mattarella to prolong the legislative term".
But with the majority of parliament including the
centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party and the anti-establishment
5-Star Movement (M5S) against the bill, the chances of it being
tabled appeared very slim.
"Mattarella mustn't listen to the left," said Roberto
Calderoli, a heavyweight in the anti-migrant, anti-euro League
(L).
Deborah Bergamini, the communications chief of FI, said the
majority of Italians were against the bill and they should be
allowed to show what they think in the upcoming election
campaign.
"Mattarella should let that majority decide," said the FI
spokeswoman.
But many voices in the PD would not be stilled.
Barbara Pollastrini, the deputy chair of the party, said "The
PD should ask for the necessary time to approve ius soli and the
government should not be afraid of putting the issue to a
confidence vote".
In other remarks from the side that appears to have won the
battle, Giorgia Meloni of the rightist nationalist Brothers of
Italy (FdI) party said the heads of UNICEF Italia owed Italians
who are against the law an apology for allegedly calling them
"idiots" and "Fascists".
Writing on Facebook, she said "it's the least the leaders of
a UN organisation can do".
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