Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party has introduced a proposed law that aims to ban the use of foreign terms, particularly English, in official communications by public and private entities in Italy. The bill has been drafted by the nationalist Brothers of Italy party to promote the use of the Italian language, and imposes a fine of up to €100,000 ($108,750) for violations. However, the bill needs approval from both houses of parliament before it can become law, and there is no indication of when this might happen.
According to Reuters news agency, the text of the draft bill argues that using English ‘demeans and mortifies’ Italians and has negative repercussions for society as a whole. It calls for the promotion and protection of the Italian language and encourages all public and private entities to use the ‘language of Dante’ to advertise their goods and services. Additionally, the bill stipulates that job applications, including names and acronyms, should be written in Italian, with foreign words only allowed if they are impossible to translate.
The draft bill highlights the paradoxical nature of English’s widespread use in Europe, given that Britain has left the European Union. It also asserts that Anglomania is not just a passing fashion, but has long-lasting effects on society. The bill comes at a time when the current far-right government is taking steps to preserve local culture, such as banning the use of laboratory-produced food to protect the country’s agri-food heritage.
Last October, when the Brothers of Italy party took office, it added the English term ‘Made in Italy’ to the name of the industry minister, while Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, occasionally uses foreign words in her speeches.
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