The Italian parliament is taking significant steps against surrogacy, introducing a bill that criminalizes Italians seeking these services abroad. The decision has sparked varied reactions.
A recent bill, which garnered 166 votes in favor versus 109 against, seeks to penalize Italians venturing abroad for surrogacy services. The stakes? Fines reaching up to €1m and potential imprisonment for up to two years.
In a nation where surrogacy remains illegal and IVF restricted to heterosexual couples, the proposed bill marks an intensified push against international surrogacy tourism. The "Brothers of Italy" party, steering the current government in tandem with their ally "the League," champions this policy.
With its foundation laid in the chamber of deputies, the bill now looks to the Italian senate for final endorsement.
Families Minister Eugenia Roccella perceives the move as Italy's leadership stance in safeguarding women and children's rights globally. Yet, the broader sentiment is divided. Many Italians, primarily heterosexual, discreetly opt for surrogacy abroad. However, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has gained notoriety for sidelining same-sex parents.
Alessandro Zan of the Democratic party critiques the bill as a possible deflection from graver national challenges. Concurrently, Riccardo Magi from Più Europa warns of Italy's potential friction with international legal norms.
Meloni's conservative ethos, emphasizing traditional parenting paradigms, stokes apprehensions within Italy's LGBTQ+ community about potential rights erosion.
As Italy recalibrates its approach to surrogacy, both locally and internationally, the global surrogacy tourism sector watches closely. The unfolding narrative will spotlight the balance between national policy, international surrogacy tourism trends, and diverse community rights.
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