Interior Minister Angelino Alfano,
leader of the junior government partner New Centre Right (NCD),
on Tuesday reaffirmed his opposition to "every kind of adoption"
by same-sex couples and announced a new proposal to make
surrogate motherhood a universal crime.
"We are working on two bills: the first on surrogacy as a
universal crime, punishable in Italy even if committed abroad,
and the second on tax relief for families and measures to
promote childbirth," Alfano said.
NCD led opposition to the stepchild adoption clause in the
controversial civil unions bill allowing one partner to adopt
the other partner's biological child, arguing it would pave the
way for greater use of surrogacy even though this is banned in
Italy under a separate law.
The Democratic Party (PD) of Premier Matteo Renzi
eventually agreed to drop the provision in exchange for support
for the bill, which was approved by the Senate at first reading
last week.
Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin, also of the NCD, also
reaffirmed her opposition to surrogate motherhood, describing it
as a "horrible practice against women".
It is a "debasement of the female body, a woman's integrity
and also the concept of motherhood" irrespective of whether the
couple that has recourse to it is heterosexual or homosexual,
Lorenzin said.
Following approval of the civil unions bill without the
stepchild adoption clause Renzi said his party would include the
provision in a separate bill overhauling Italy's malfunctioning
adoptions system.
Fierce debate around the hot-button issue has been
rekindled by the arrival via American surrogate mother of a baby
boy to former Puglia governor Nichi Vendola, leader of the
leftwing Left Ecology and Freedom (SEL) party, and his partner
Ed Testa.
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