There is a country that is far ahead of its Parliament. That country is Italy. The issue is the protection of civil rights. Alessandro Zan, member of parliament for the Democratic Party, has become a symbol of this battle against discrimination. Today, he was welcomed at #Giffoni50Plus. The questions posed by the young people from IMPACT! were all on his bill on hate crimes, which was created to fill a significant cultural and legislative gap that has relegated Italy to the last place in Europe in terms of social inclusion. The bill is risking remaining stuck in limbo: indeed, it is at a standstill in the Senate due to a strong obstructionism that will not allow it to be approved by summer, as initially expected. It will be necessary to wait until September and, in all likelihood, the bill will have to be presented again to the Chamber of Deputies, where it was already passed last November, not without difficulty.
Alessandro Zan started off by expressing his emotion: “Since I was a child – he said – I have been hearing about Giffoni. I saw it on TV. I am very happy to be here with you”. Director Claudio Gubitosi commented: “He is a Giffoner. He perfectly embodies our spirit”. Then it was time for the debate. Zan didn’t shy away from any question and replied accurately. He began his intervention by saying: “Italy is lagging far behind on these issues. It is the only major European country not to have a law against hate crimes. I would like to clarify: the Zan bill is not a law that protects minorities, it is a law that protects everyone against all forms of discrimination. For example, women in Italy are at the top of the hate pyramid. There is a 2012 European directive that many countries have complied with in recent years. Italy has not done so. Like us, there are countries like Poland or Hungary that are not exactly examples of legal civilisation”.
There is a risk of the bill being dropped, Alessandro Zan explained bluntly. He said: “The text is at a standstill in the Senate because many senators have tabled amendments. If it were to be amended in the Senate, the law would have to be returned to the Chamber of Deputies and the risk would be a dead end. A first attempt was made in 1996, then five more failed and this is the sixth. You can easily imagine my sense of anguish. Yet, this is a law that Italy really needs, Zan explained: “Every day – he said – there are many episodes of violence and aggression. This law would not solve all the problems, of course, but it would trigger a cultural revolution. It would mean that the State does not accept that citizens can be discriminated against for what they are. It would be a very strong message and would be a turning point in a country where patriarchy and sexism are still very strong. It would be a very important qualitative improvement”.
Zan bill is eagerly awaited, especially by young people: “The new generations – he explained – are very interested in these issues. In contrast, Italian politicians consider civil rights almost as a complementary matter. On the contrary, they are the yardstick of the health of a country. Where rights are recognised, everyone feels part of the community. Where everyone has the same opportunities, we move together in a positive direction. It is not by chance that people live better where civil rights are recognised. On the one hand, the fact that the debate on the Zan bill is so heated shows how backward we are -because if you listen to some senators, it’s like being in Poland- but, on the other hand, you can see how much attention there is from young people, from Generation Z. You will be able to change the world, I am sure of that, from Giffoni and not only from here”.
The meeting was greatly appreciated by the young people and was rounded off by the awarding of the Giffoni Riggiola d’autore (a precious decorative painted tile) to Alessandro Zan. Pietro Rinaldi, president of Ente Autonomo Giffoni Experience, was also present. Vincenzo Cavaliero, council member of the municipality of Giffoni Valle Piana, attended the ceremony as representative of the local administration.
