Interrupted ceremony in Cadoneghe

During a citizenship ceremony at the town hall of Cadoneghe, a municipality north of Padua, Mayor Marco Schiesaro halted proceedings for a 63-year-old Moroccan woman who had lived in Italy for 15 years. Four candidates had arrived to take the oath, originating from Brazil, Moldova, Iran, and Morocco. While interacting with the applicants before administering the formal pledge, Schiesaro asked standard introductory questions regarding personal background and employment. When asked how she was doing, the Moroccan candidate answered with the word "Riad" and remained silent to subsequent inquiries.

The mayor subsequently asked her to read the official text required for the oath of allegiance. The applicant attempted to recite the phrase "giuro di essere" from memory before stopping. Concluding that she could neither understand spoken Italian nor read the required formula, Schiesaro suspended her swearing-in procedure while proceeding with the other candidates.

“When I realised that she basically understood nothing, I asked her to read the document that everyone reads and she read, by memory, repeating something that had been told to her. It was then, at that moment, that I understood something was wrong. I simply said to myself that I did not feel like continuing with the oath. Period. I believe I acted according to justice, according to the law in the interest of my fellow citizens and my community.”

Language test reattempt and regulations

Following guidelines established by the Ministry of the Interior, the applicant returned to the Cadoneghe municipal offices on 29 September 2026 to undergo a second Italian language evaluation. She arrived accompanied by an acquaintance who spoke both Italian and Arabic to assist her during the administrative visit.

The second assessment did not result in a passing outcome, leaving the applicant's citizenship request suspended. Municipal regulations require adequate linguistic proficiency before a citizenship decree can be formally completed through the swearing-in process. Schiesaro stated that acquiring nationality requires meeting statutory integration obligations, emphasizing that applicants must demonstrate sufficient command of the national language rather than relying on municipal adjustments.

Ministerial response and policy debate

The municipal decision drew immediate commentary from central government officials in Rome. Deputy Prime Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini travelled to Cadoneghe on 30 September 2026 to meet with Schiesaro directly, commending the mayor for enforcing statutory criteria during the oath procedure. Salvini noted that Italy granted nearly 200,000 citizenships in the preceding year, stating that applicants must speak the language.

“I wanted to leave my office in Rome this morning to thank one of the many mayors who work every day with passion, commitment, few resources, but a lot of enthusiasm and enforce the law.”

Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi also endorsed the municipal action through a statement, affirming that adequate knowledge of the Italian language represents a fundamental requirement for social, cultural, and civil integration. Piantedosi stated that the Viminale deemed the suspension appropriate because the resident could neither communicate in Italian nor recite the official formula. Schiesaro and Salvini also discussed potential modifications to ISEE income verification regulations during their meeting.