Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke out on Friday in favor of the traditional family and against gender culture – in the presence of Pope Francis. “We want to live in a country where parenting is not out of fashion, but is a socially recognized value. We want to rediscover the beauty of parenting,” Meloni said.
“For decades, the dominant culture has told us the opposite. It should not be outrageous to say that we are all descended from one man and one woman. It should not be taboo to say that the womb is not for rent and that children are not over-the-counter products that you can choose and then maybe give back,” the prime minister, who is mother of a six-year-old daughter, said at a conference on demography in Rome.
Right-wing fight against surrogacy
Right-wing parties in Italy are fighting a tough battle against surrogacy. The right-wing governing party Lega is currently collecting signatures for a bill to criminalize surrogacy worldwide. “If a mother is exploited and her child is sold for money, it is a matter of ethics, justice and humanity,” the Lega said in a press release.
“It is our duty to stop the dirty multibillion-dollar business of surrogacy, a practice that we want to make a universal crime by also prosecuting those who commit it abroad,” said the party’s Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
Birth rate historically low
Italy has been struggling with a strong demographic decline for years. According to the Italian statistical agency ISTAT, the birth rate in Italy fell to an all-time low of less than 400,000 in 2022. This is the 14th consecutive annual decline. The total number of the Italian population decreased by 179,000 persons to 58.85 million. According to projections, the number of students will fall by one million by 2033/34.
To support families, the Meloni government last week approved a package that would exempt workers with children from this year’s fringe taxes, up to a maximum of €3,000 per worker.
Source: Krone
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