The journey from bill to law of what is known in Italy as DDL Zan (Anti Homo-transphobia bill) gets abruptly interrupted today.
Twenty-three votes scuttled the Zan Bill. The centre-left was sure to have 149 votes on paper, but two abstained and 16 senators passed with the centre-right. The result was 154 votes for NO and 131 for YES, a ratio that was reversed compared to the theoretical starting point envisaged by the forces in the field.
From the Democratic Party, accusations were levelled at those belonging to the party of the Ex Prime-Minister, Mr. Matteo Renzi.
Now Ignazio La Russa (Far right party – Fratelli d’Italia) says: “There is a new majority”. Dem leader Monica Cirinnà (famous for her battle to make a law on same sex marriages approved in Italy) said: “The centre-left of Conte’s majority is over, we will start again from the Democratic Party, 5Stelle and LEU”. And PD secretary, Mr. Enrico Letta on Twitter said: ‘They wanted to stop the future. They wanted to take Italy backwards. Yes, today they and their crotches won in the Senate. But the country is somewhere else”. And the 5S leader Conte: “Those who are rejoicing today for this sabotage should account to the country that on these issues has already shown to be ahead of the parliamentary halls”.
“Cut Off”
The Senate had said yes to the ‘cut-off’ requested by the Lega Nord and Fratelli d’Italia (both belonging to the far Right wing and linked to fascist movements). There were 154 senators in favour of stopping the examination of the articles and amendments of the Zan Bill against homotransphobia, 131 against and two abstained. Now, therefore, the process of the law has come to a standstill.
President Casellati had deemed “the two requests for secret ballots admissible on the basis of the rules and precedents“, thus confirming the secret ballot despite the objections. “I was called to decide on the request for a secret ballot. It is a purely legal question,” she clarified, “and it is no coincidence that I referred to the rules and precedents.
Pro-Life and Catholic wings rejoice.
The Pro-Life movement rejoiced at the result “in the name of freedom of expression“. With such bills, the behaviour of the Catholic faithful and politicians must conform to the Magisterium of the Church, which has expressed “clear disapproval of gender ideology through numerous interventions by Pope Francis”. This is stated in a note from the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which the Pro Life and Familia Association reports was written in response to a request for doctrinal clarification on the measure.
