Italy’s Constitutional Court has dismissed the constitutional questions raised by the Turin court against the government’s 2025 citizenship decree. In a statement released on March 12, 2026—one day after the first hearing—the Court declared the objections “partially unfounded and partially inadmissible.” The full reasoning behind the decision has not yet been published, and may take weeks to be released.
The decree at the center of the dispute, issued in March 2025 and later converted into law, restricts citizenship recognition for descendants of Italians born abroad. Under the new rules, only individuals with a parent or grandparent born in Italy—and who held exclusively Italian citizenship—qualify for recognition. The measure effectively ended the broader interpretation of citizenship by descent that had been in place since the 19th century, a system that allowed generations of emigrants’ descendants to maintain ties to Italy.
The debate unfolds amid a surge in citizenship applications worldwide. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italian citizens living abroad rose from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, with consulates—particularly in Argentina—reporting record numbers of requests. Long processing times, high document costs, and legal fees have already made recognition challenging for many applicants. The new law is expected to further limit access, reshaping Italy’s relationship with its global diaspora.
Despite the Court’s initial rejection, the issue remains far from settled. Additional cases challenging the decree are scheduled for review on June 9, 2026, including one brought by the Mantova court. Other proceedings, such as those originating in Campobasso, may also be examined later in the year. These upcoming cases are considered broader in scope and do not involve the procedural issues present in the Turin filing.
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