The Italian government plans to impose a ban on full-face coverings in schools, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seeks to galvanize hard-right voters ahead of a general election next year. Meloni’s government also endorsed a classroom cap on the number of foreign students who lack adequate Italian. The measures are part a slate of new education laws placing restrictions on foreigners.
She said these were “tools of common sense that do not divide, but truly help to integrate.” The move is the latest attempt by Meloni’s center-right coalition to stem the rise of the ultra-nationalist National Future party, which has peeled away lawmakers from her government and risen in opinion polls by targeting migrants, LGBTQ rights and support for Ukraine. Meloni, who once played a similar role in opposition, has already adopted tougher messaging on law and order to counter the surging popularity of Roberto Vannacci, the former army general who leads National Future. Italy, which sits on the European Union’s southern border, has long grappled with migrant arrivals and the integration of those who settle in the country, especially from different religious backgrounds.
This week, in remarks widely interpreted as an implicit warning over the proposal, Mattarella stressed the importance of integration and the constitutional right to education. Meloni’s coalition is showing signs of deepening fissures ahead of next year’s election. Last week, her government, under pressure to stem the impact of spiraling energy prices on consumers, backed a road tax cut for millions of vehicle owners.
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