FOREIGN MINISTRY SUED IN COURT BY ITALIAN CITIZENS

PETITION

Reform the electoral system of the General Council of Italians Abroad to ensure transparency and greater democratic accountability.

The representation of Italians abroad currently passes through different bodies, the COMITES in the various countries, then the CGIE (General Council of Italians Abroad). While the first is regularly elected by Italians registered with AIRE, the CGIE is composed of 43 members elected by only about two thousand voters and 20 members appointed directly.

Contrary to the COMITES which have very limited funds, the CGIE has at its disposal the use of millionaire funds provided by Italy through the Farnesina with the aim of “protecting and enhancing the value of expatriate compatriots as well as promoting the Italian cultural and commercial system as a whole”.

The lack of democracy in the composition of the CGIE together with the inertia of the central and peripheral ministerial bureaucracy has created a “caste” of self-referential employees who manage significant resources on behalf of Italians abroad but in a total absence of an evaluation of their work.

The undersigned support the petition promoted by Andrea di Giuseppe (USA), Stanislao Filice (Malta), Duilio Dottarelli (Thailand), accepted by the Ordinary Court of Rome and that will be discussed by Lawyer Carmine Manzione and Lawyer Donniacuo on May 2 before Judge Crisafulli, in order to put an end to this situation and ensure a fair democratic representation, with elections accessible to all Italians regularly residing abroad, in accordance with the dictates of our Constitution.

Why sign the petition?

We invite all compatriots in Italy and abroad to support our initiative.

A large number of signatures on the petition helps us to show the political authorities and ministerial leaders who continue to misinterpret the value of the representation of both the Com.It.Es. and the CGIE itself, that a substantial number of people are supporting our request and believe in the importance of the issue we are presenting.

The signature acquires a SYMBOLIC value and support for the initiative.