The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her political party have recently proposed legislation that would prevent public and private entities from using foreign language terms in official communications, especially English. This bill, which has been drafted by lawmakers from the Brothers of Italy party, aims to promote the use of the Italian language and would impose a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) for violating the rule.

The proposed bill stresses the importance of protecting and nurturing the Italian language and claims that the use of English “demeans and mortifies” Italians. The legislation further stipulates that job-related applications, including names and acronyms, must be written in Italian, and foreign words are only permitted if they are impossible to translate.

The bill also highlights the negative impact of English on Italian society and calls for all public and private entities to use the “language of Dante” to promote their goods and services. It argues that the widespread use of English in Europe is “even more negative and paradoxical” given that Britain has left the European Union.

Passing the proposed bill into law requires the approval of both houses of parliament, and no timeline for its approval has been given. This legislation comes as the current far-right government seeks to preserve Italian culture, as seen in the recent ban on laboratory-produced food to safeguard the country’s agri-food heritage.

In conclusion, the proposed legislation aims to promote the Italian language by prohibiting the use of foreign language terms in official communications. The bill calls for the protection and nurturing of the Italian language and claims that the use of English “demeans and mortifies” Italians. However, whether or not this bill will be passed into law remains uncertain.