the municipality that grants foreign students honorary citizenship – Corriere.it

«Minister Lollobrigida’s phrase on “ethnic replacement” is very strong. I must say, however, that those who really know things about migrants are the mayors, those who work in the field, that is, people like me”. The mayor in question is Gianmario Zanga, 61, surveyor, former Msi and An, now with FdI, already mayor twice in the past, re-elected in 2021 with the Riparti Albano civic list. In fact, he governs Albano Sant’Alessandro (Bergamo), with 8,000 inhabitants of which 1,100 are foreigners (including 229 minors), and like him he has chosen a friend of the Democratic Party as his deputy. Together they have long had very clear ideas about migrants and integration. On April 18, the city council unanimously also voted on an agenda to give honorary citizenship to children and young people, children of foreigners, who are not yet Italian citizens. An honorary title, without legal consequences, but which has become a kind of symbolic ius alone.

Mayor, what do you think of the ethnic substitution evoked by the minister?

“A very strong expression. But I always say: you have to be in the field to know. On migrants, their increase, their integration, a town mayor knows what the problems and facts are. Here in the schools, almost 50% of the children are foreigners, there is a lack of local manpower and it is absolutely true that it is useful to rely on those who come from outside. So integration is welcome.”

Hence the decision of honorary citizenship for children.

«They were born in these parts, they live with us, we see them every day, they speak like us, they respect our laws, their civic sense, they are already integrated into reality. On May 4 we will begin by awarding the title to seven middle school students who are not yet Italian. Distinctions between genuine Italians and migrants make no sense. Regardless of government decisions.

Not exactly his party line.

“Giorgia Meloni is very intelligent, or she has already understood how things are going, or she will understand”.

Of course it is anomalous that his deputy is from the Democratic Party.

«With Fabrizio Mologni we have been on opposite sides in the council for a long time, but out of there we met, we are friends, a good relationship was born. There is agreement on the integration of migrants. Last year we gave all the middle school kids the Constitution, but not all of them were full-fledged Italians and therefore something was wrong. Feeling like citizens even if for the moment it is not possible for them to be is the purpose of the honorary citizenship that we have decided to give”.

Talk like a leftist.

«I’m from FdI, for twelve years I have been giving catechesis to children about to receive their first communion, I try to take note of the daily life. And then, I say it jokingly, it is the demonstration that not everyone on the right is ugly and bad».