The Italian citizenship project for foreign minors, Ius Scholae, returned to the Italian agenda this Thursday, July 3, 2025. The proposal, spearheaded by Forza Italia, stipulates that children of foreigners legally residing in the country can obtain Italian citizenship after completing ten years of compulsory schooling.
The move marks a curious turnaround in Italian politics: Forza Italia, led by Antonio Tajani, Giorgia Meloni's deputy prime minister, has said it is ready to approve the measure together with the Democratic Party (PD), a traditional center-left force. Meanwhile, the Lega has reaffirmed its opposition.
“It is no secret that Lega is not in favor of Tajani’s proposal on Ius Scholae,” criticized Susanna Ceccardi, a Lega MEP. For her, the project is not part of the government program and was never discussed during the election campaign. The party sees the initiative as an isolated decision by Forza Italia.
The text reappears after a year of being inactive in Parliament. At the time, it only had the support of the Azione party. Now, it is back, fueled by a discourse of integration: allowing children born in Italy, or who have reached the age of five, to become citizens after completing basic schooling.
Between advances and friction
For Paolo Emilio Russo, Forza Italia’s deputy, the focus is to modernize old rules and curb abuses. “Forza Italia proposed with Ius Italiae a complete reform of the mechanisms for granting citizenship,” he said. According to him, the goal is to prioritize children and schools as a tool for integration.
The party also reached out to Lega, praising its allies' concern about poorly monitored concessions in the past. But the message was clear: “You only need to read a proposal to understand that it is not just about expanding rights, but about a serious proposal,” Russo concluded.
Meanwhile, the PD is watching closely. If the party decides to call for a vote, the Azzurri have promised to support it. Whether irony or strategy, the fact is that Tajani now finds himself voting side by side with the left, while the Lega watches, isolated, as the scenario changes.
Beyond school citizenship
But there are those who see beyond school citizenship (Ius Scholae). Behind the scenes, there is a speculation that Antonio Tajani is actually testing a rapprochement with the left in order to weaken Giorgia Meloni. The goal, they say, would be to pave the way for him to run for prime minister if the current leader loses strength within the coalition – and he would have the support of President Sergio Mattarella.
For critics, Ius Scholae has become nothing more than the ideal pretext to measure forces and open dialogue with the PD, creating fissures on the right and showing that Forza Italia can be more flexible — or more ambitious — than it appears.
