MAIE-BRASILE – Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero presented right of reply to Italianism after the publication of the article entitled “Citizenship fee exemption: Fabio Porta says MAIE appropriated PD's proposal.".
According to the movement, the published content contains statements that do not correspond to the facts. The criticism falls especially on the handling and authorship of the amendments that led to the elimination of the €250 consular fee for the registration of minors.
In the statement sent, signed by Luciana Laspro, MAIE affirms that representatives of the Partito Democratico, the party that instituted the citizenship tax, do not have the political or legislative backing to claim authorship of the proposal to eliminate the tax. “It is strange […] that representatives of the Partito Democratico […] now claim paternity of its elimination,” the text says.
The movement emphasizes that none of the amendments presented by PD parliamentarians abroad had any political signaling. This signaling, according to MAIE, is indispensable for the approval of any proposal, especially given the high number of amendments presented during the Budget Law.
The document also states that the declarations attributed to Deputy Fábio Porta are not supported by official documents from the Italian Senate. The MAIE maintains that its role in the process was "effective and decisive," highlighting the appointment of Senator Mario Borghese as rapporteur for the Stability Law, something unprecedented for a parliamentarian elected abroad.
According to the statement, the two amendments that resulted in the exemption of the €250 fee for minors were presented with the first signature of Senator Michaela Biancofiore, leader of the Noi Moderati–MAIE group. The documents are available on the Senate's official website.
• Elimination of the 250 euro fee: Amendment No. 1478107
• Inclusion of the new article on exemption: Amendment No. 1485279
The motion concludes by requesting the full publication of the right of reply, with the same prominence as the original article. It states that the objective is to preserve its institutional image and guarantee readers access to accurate information based on official documents.
OFFICIAL NOTE
To the Editorial Staff of Italianismo,
The MAIE-BRASILE – Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero, in the legitimate exercise of its right of reply, hereby expresses its opinion regarding the article published by this portal under the title:
👉 “Exemption from the citizenship fee: Fábio Porta claims that MAIE appropriated a proposal from the PD”
The aforementioned article contains statements that do not correspond to the truth, especially regarding the authorship, parliamentary conduct, and institutional responsibility for the amendments that led to the elimination of the €250 consular fee for the registration of minors, as well as the role actually played by the MAIE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in the Italian legislative process.
It is strange — not to say inconsistent — that representatives of the Democratic Party, the party that instituted the so-called "citizenship tax," are now claiming credit for its elimination, given that they are currently in opposition and none of the amendments presented by PD elected officials abroad have been politically signaled.
It should be noted that political signaling is an indispensable condition for an amendment to have any chance of approval, especially in a context of approximately 5.000 amendments presented, as occurred during the processing of the Budget Law.
The statements attributed to Deputy Fábio Porta are not supported by official documents from the Italian Senate and lead to a misleading reconstruction of the facts, attributing to third parties a legislative initiative that had the direct, formal, and fully documented participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Integration (MAIE).
We would like to clarify that MAIE acted effectively and decisively throughout the entire legislative process, including the appointment of Senator Mario Borghese as rapporteur during the period of the Stability Law — a fundamental and unprecedented political role for a parliamentarian elected abroad.
The amendments in question were submitted with the initial signature of Senator Biancofiore, leader of the Noi Moderati–MAIE group, as evidenced by the official documents of the Italian Senate relating to the budget bill (DDL No. 1689), accessible via the links below:
– Suppression of Article 7-ter of the Consular Fee Schedule (elimination of the 250 euro fee) – Amendment EMENDC No. 1478107:
https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=EMENDC&id=1478107&idoggetto=1477272
– Inclusion of the new Article 104-bis (exemption from any contribution to citizenship acquisition procedures for minors) – Amendment EMENDC No. 1485279:
https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=EMENDC&id=1485279&idoggetto=1477272
In light of the foregoing, any and all assertions that seek to deny, minimize, or delegitimize the role of MAIE in proposing, coordinating, and supporting the parliamentary measures that culminated in the elimination of the aforementioned consular fee for minors are completely unfounded.
Therefore, MAIE-BRASILE formally requests the full publication of this right of reply, with equal prominence and proportionality in relation to the original article, in order to restore the truth of the facts, preserve the institutional image of the movement, and ensure readers' right to correct, verifiable information based on official documents.
We remain available for any further clarifications, based exclusively on official documentation from the Senate of the Italian Republic.
Best Regards,
MAIE-BRASILE – Italiani all'Estero Associative Movement
Luciana Laspro
President
São Paulo, December 21, 2025
FOLLOW ITALIANISM
