Surrogacy, 65% are against: but there is a yes to the recognition of children | The survey

Non recent weeks the theme ofsame parenting it broke into the debate by radicalising the positions of leaders and parties. It’s about a theme that invests the ethical sphere compared to which citizens’ opinions are usually less influenced by political orientation. Just think of the positions taken on divorce, abortion, assisted procreation, the end of life: well, on these and other issues the results of the referendums and social research have shown that a significant number of citizens express themselves differently from the position of the party they feel closest to.

Surrogacy, prohibited in Italy and in the vast majority of countries, elicits different reactions depending on whether it takes place against a cash consideration or not. In the first case, in fact, opposition clearly prevails (two out of three Italians, 65.4%), those in favor are 19.7%, the others do not respond. In the second, the against, although prevailing, decreased to 40.3%, those in favor rose to 34.6, while 25.1% remained silent.

The judgements

Today’s survey shows that 45% of Italians declare themselves in favour
to the fact that children born as a result of surrogacy in countries where this practice is permitted, are registered in the municipalities of residence of the couple after their return to Italy, because they believe it is a duty of the state also grant these children the same rights as everyone else. Conversely, one in four (26%) is against it because registering them would mean giving the green light to surrogacy in Italy too and 29% do not take a position. Opposition prevails only among voters of FdI (49%) and Lega (41%), among whom however there is a numerically very significant minority of those in favour, 28% and 37% respectively. Therefore, even in the presence of a prevailing disapproval of surrogate motherhood, the relative majority deems it appropriate to recognize the rights of children born elsewhere by resorting to this practice.

Also the possibility of adopting a child by homosexual couples sees those in favor prevail (47%) on the opposite (32%). Furthermore, open attitudes are up by 5 points compared to 2021. An attitude of greater opposition is confirmed among voters of FdI (58%) and Lega (48%), despite the presence of a share equal to 30% and to 39% in favour.

One out of two Italians (53%) convinced that politics in Italy on these issues is lagging behind in relation to societywhile one in four (25%) is more benevolent, believing that on such a complex issue, the absence of clear legislation for same-parent families is preferable rather than having a biased law.

The idea of ​​family

And speaking of the changes in society, it should be noted that Italians are less and less tied to a traditional vision of the family, given that 43% believe that the family is the union that arises between a man and a woman united in civil or religious marriage (20%) or that they live together without being married but simply united by an emotional bond (23%), while 45% consider family the union that arises between two individuals even of the same sex who have an emotional bond and decide to live together under the same roof civilly united (15%) or less (30%, i.e. the relative majority). And it should be noted that more than one in three practicing Catholics also consider same-sex couples as familyand this says a lot about the changes that are going through the Church.

The evolution of society determines gradual processes of adaptation of public opinion, often determined by daily experience: knowledge of people unable to conceive a child (regardless of sexual orientation), awareness of their desires and the difficulties to achieve them, all this favors attitudes of openness.

The two fronts

This does not mean that all Italians agree with the changes we are talking about, but it does indicate that social segments usually considered more tied to traditions (older and less educated people, residents of small centres, popular classes, Catholics, etc. ), which we would have expected lined up on one front, are actually less cohesive than one might expect.

As well as on the opposite front among the segments most inclined to change, minority shares remain, but not negligible, of people who are opposed or at least perplexed. In political communication, these issues should be addressed with great attention, to respect both the restraint that many citizens express on ethical issues, and the desire to form an opinion independent of affiliations. The bright tones, the display of non-negotiable principles, as well the ideological approach appear out of place: in fact, they do not help the discernment of citizens and are not very convenient for individual parties, taking into account that their voters express themselves more according to conscience than on the basis of political sympathies on issues which, moreover, have very little influence on voting preferences.