Conservative trends in Europe: The case of Italy
Conservative trends in Europe: The case of Italy
What are the conservative trends spotted in Italy this year? Our analyst Ghila Amati tells us all about the new right-wing law proposal that will make abortion in Italy more difficult.
This article was written by Ghila Amati and reflects her personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.
In the previous weekly comments in this series, I have discussed conservative trends in Poland, Hungary, and the Vatican. In this new article, I analyse some of the conservative trends developing in the country which hosts the Roman Catholic Church: Italy.
The proposal: anti-abortion association in hospitals
A first conservative trend in Italy regards abortion. In May 2021, the right-wing Italian Party, the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia), proposed a new law in the Italian region of Liguria, that will impose the creation of anti-abortion information desks in health centers which perform voluntary abortion. The law is entitled ‘Rules for the protection of the health of women and of the unborn child’.[1]
The reasons for proposing the law appear to not merely be religious but also ethnic and nationalistic. According to the group leader of the Brothers of Italy in the Marche Region, Carlo Ciccioli, it is necessary to deal with an alleged “ethnic substitution” that is upsetting Italy. According to him, the low birth rate in Italy is putting the identity of the nation at risk.[2]
He also argued that abortion is “always and in any case a defeat: for the child, who loses his life; for the mother, who carries trauma for her entire existence; for society, which is deprived of its future.” The woman about to have an abortion should be – according to him – “helped to get out of loneliness” and “penetrating anguish,” and “supported in her dignity.”
Reactions to the proposal
The center-left in Italy declared itself strongly against this proposal. The head of the Democratic Party in Italy (Pd) – Luca Garibaldi – has defined the proposal “aberrant” and stated that, “We cannot allow a woman, in the full exercise of her right, to feel opposed and humiliated in this way.”[3] Also the head of the right-wing Five Star Party – Fabio Tosi- asked from the Brothers of Italy party to “[w]ithdraw as soon as possible a morally broken and dangerous proposal, an unacceptable invasion of freedom of choice and privacy.”[4]
Far-right and homosexuals in Italy
Another conservative trend in Italy regards homosexuality and homososexual harrassment. Following a homophobic attack in May 2021 in Rome, targeted at a homosexual couple kissing each other at the metro station, many Italian politicians and activists have asked for the approval of a law poposal that will criminalise violence against LGBT individuals.[5]
However, the bill is being delayed over and over again. This again is another sign of he conservative approach that is being enhanced in Italy. While in fact the law was passed in November 2020 by the lower Italian chamber, the Italian Senate is currently delaying its final approval under the pressures of the new government of the right-wing head of the League party – Matteo Salvini. The drafter of the bill, Alessandro Zan, stated: “The majority of people in the commission back the law, but we are being held hostage by a president who arbitrarily decides that the vote shouldn’t be scheduled because he belongs to a party that doesn’t want it.”[6] Moreover, other far-right politicians such as Massimiliano Romeo have argued that the law should be delayed in order to not create divisions in a government that needs to be united in a state of pandemic emergency.
More generally, even though same-sex unions are allowed in Italy since 2016, Italy is very much behind in relation to other EU countries regarding the implementation of anti-LGBT measures.[7] An LGBT activist from Naples has stated that he does not believe the Italian people are ready to fully accept the LGBT community and argues that this is due to Italy’s “strong Christian element.”[8] The Italian Christian element may also – in my opinion – be at the roots of the new law proposed against abortion.
Conservative trends or merely small resistance?
We have reviewed here two recent conservative developments in Italy, one regarding abortion and the other regarding LGBT rights and protection. Nevertheless, to each of these conservative phenomena, we can find – as we have seen above – many voices in the Italian government and population that oppose these conservative trends. It is not clear which one of the two currents will prevail. My hope is that these two trends will actually balance each other. A too progressive state, a state that does not respect religious values and religious institutions, is in fact a state without history and without roots. On the other hand, a too conservative state could lead to dangerous intolerance and fundamentalism. Therefore, I think it is important to keep the balance between the two and not to forget that on the side of equality and freedom, there are important religious values that should not be forgotten.
This article was written by Ghila Amati and reflects her personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.
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[1] Nelle Marche Fratelli d’Italia dice no all’aborto: “Senza nascite ci sarà una sostituzione etnica”
[2] Nelle Marche Fratelli d’Italia dice no all’aborto: “Senza nascite ci sarà una sostituzione etnica”
[3]In Liguria Fratelli d’Italia ha proposto una legge per creare presidi anti-aborto negli ospedali. E per ora Toti non si esprime
[4]In Liguria Fratelli d’Italia ha proposto una legge per creare presidi anti-aborto negli ospedali. E per ora Toti non si esprime
[5]Attack on gay couple in Rome prompts calls for anti-homophobia law
[6]Attack on gay couple in Rome prompts calls for anti-homophobia law
[7]Attack on gay couple in Rome prompts calls for anti-homophobia law
[8]Attack on gay couple in Rome prompts calls for anti-homophobia law
