A right-wing Italian lawmaker wants to pass a law that will ban the use of English in official documents, prompting hefty fines for those who don't comply. But some politicians close to Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, are distancing themselves from the proposed law.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani assured reporters that it wasn't a government push but the work of one politician, reports Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. The bill was presented by Fabio Rampelli, a politician from the right-wing Brothers of Italy, of which Meloni is a member.
Public employees could reportedly face fines, ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 euros — approximately $5,500 to $110,000 — if they are caught using foreign instead of Italian words in any public communication. Fines could also be brought against firms that use foreign terms for job titles or schools and universities that use non-Italian expressions.
Asked if the proposed law had a "Mussolinian flavor," Tajani reportedly responded that "the defense of the Italian language has nothing to do with Mussolini."
Italians voted in the country's most right-wing government since World War II last September. For voters, Meloni represented a chance to put traditional Italians and their values first.
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