The Italian Democratic Party (PD), led by Nicola Zingaretti, is pushing for the introduction of ius soli and ius culturae, granting citizenship based on birth in Italy or cultural ties, respectively. This is opposed by the Five Star Movement (M5S).
Italy currently operates under ius sanguinis, where citizenship is inherited from parents. While the 1992 law includes some limited ius soli provisions (birth in Italy with unknown or stateless parents), the PD seeks to broaden these significantly.
A 2015 bill, approved by the Chamber of Deputies but stalled in the Senate, expanded ius soli to include children born in Italy to parents with long-term residency permits. It also introduced ius culturae, a concept not yet defined in the current legislation. This bill represents a more lenient approach than the existing law.
The M5S strongly opposes the PD's proposal, highlighting other pressing issues like the economic crisis and job losses. This opposition exemplifies the political tensions within the Italian government.
Since 2017, there has been a significant decrease in the number of people acquiring Italian citizenship, according to Istat.