“Ascertain responsibilities” –

Edoardo Sirignano

10 maggio 2024

Passportpoli arrives in Parliament. The majority rallies around Andrea Di Giuseppe, the deputy threatened for having reported to the Prosecutor’s Office the practice by which in South America citizenships are issued to people who have nothing Italian regarding them. A scandal uncovered by on May 6th and now landed in the main national newspapers of Venezuela and beyond. From the «Tal Cual» website to «El Universal», there are several articles in which the case is mentioned. Which is why more than a few parliamentarians are doing their utmost to ask a question. The first to raise the need were members of the FdI groups. From the vice president of the Chamber Fabio Rampelli, who speaks of a “mafia-style criminal association” to the group leader in the Senate Lucio Malan, who praises all those who did their utmost on the matter, also citing what was reported by our newspaper and various demonstrations in this regard. There is also no shortage of praise for the Farnesina which sent inspectors in mid-April. Fdi deputy Fabio Pietrella praises the desire of the ministry led by Tajani “to shed light on multiple gray areas”.

One thing is certain, from Saverio Congedo, through Massimo Milani to Maria Grazia Frijia, Meloni’s party intends to close a chapter that has ended up in the oblivion of politics. Salvini’s League is on the same wavelength. For the vice president of the Senate Gianmarco Centinaio “it is necessary to ascertain any responsibilities”. As FdI MP Sara Kelany explains well to our notebooks, before the complaint, there was a strong lack of interest, which might have benefited someone.

Question raised by former PD parliamentarian Fabio Porta, who several years ago reportedly denounced «direct and indirect forms of corruption, which among other things concerned me personally. There is a real mix, as well described by , between certain apparatuses and organized crime. Which is why everything aimed at eliminating abuse and fraud is welcome.” Especially in Venezuela there would be more than a few problems in addressing the issue, being, in his opinion, “the only M5S to have direct relations with the Maduro executive”.

Compared to Passaportopoli, however, there would be a further chapter concerning Europe, presented by Toni Ricciardi, deputy group leader of the Democratic Party in the Chamber: «Already in the first 4 months of the year, 17 thousand new registrations were registered in the Aire (Registry of Italians residing in abroad, ed.), which is obviously not followed by an increase in staff assigned to consular services. In the meantime, an unofficial Facebook group has been created, which has 16 thousand members and which illicitly uses the symbol of the Italian Republic, on which our citizenship is offered for the modest sum of 75 pounds.” The same service would also have been reported in Spain and Germany. «We are talking regarding a real scam – explains the Dem exponent – to the detriment of our fellow citizens carried out by private companies, who have connivance in their respective consulates. The law does not prohibit it, as is the case with passports in South America, but this has a significant impact on the progress of our democracy.”