by InTrieste
Opposition parties in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Council have introduced a proposal urging the region to support national legislation aimed at expanding parental leave and strengthening family support policies, arguing that structural reforms are needed to address Italy’s declining birthrate.
The measure mirrors a bill introduced in Italy’s Parliament in February 2025 by the center-left Democratic Party (PD), led by party secretary Elly Schlein. It has been signed by all 19 opposition councilors representing the Democratic Party, the Pact for Autonomy and the Mixed Group.
The proposal calls on the regional government to use its legislative initiative powers under the region’s special statute to formally endorse the national bill.
Among its central provisions is raising maternity benefits from 80 percent to 100 percent of a worker’s salary. The proposal would also extend full compensation to self-employed mothers, with payments calculated according to lost income during maternity leave.
The legislation also introduces an expanded parental leave system for fathers, granting up to five months of non-transferable leave during a child’s first 18 months of life. Four months would be mandatory, while the leave would be fully paid for both employees and self-employed workers.
Manuela Celotti, the Democratic Party councilor who introduced the regional proposal, said policies designed to encourage higher birthrates must move beyond financial incentives and instead promote shared parental responsibilities.
“If we want to seriously address the issue of declining births, we must stop treating parenthood as primarily a woman’s responsibility,” Celotti said, arguing that equal parental rights could also reduce workplace discrimination against women.
The proposal contrasts with a regional maternity bonus introduced by the center-right administration, which provides different payments depending on the mother’s age. Under the current regional program, mothers aged 30 and under receive monthly payments of €500 for one year, while women over 30 receive €250 per month. Democratic Party lawmakers have criticized the policy as focusing primarily on mothers rather than encouraging equal participation by both parents.
Opposition lawmakers also proposed converting unused classrooms in schools affected by falling enrollment into public childcare centers. Diego Moretti, leader of the Democratic Party group in the regional council, said such conversions should be coordinated through regional planning rather than left to individual municipalities.
Supporters argue that expanding childcare services and introducing equal parental leave would not only encourage family formation but also increase female workforce participation, narrow the gender pay gap and contribute to economic growth.
The announcement coincided with a visit by Schlein to the historic town of Aquileia, where local Democratic Party members also raised internal concerns over proposed electoral reforms. Some party members have criticized the absence of preferential voting in an electoral law recently approved by Italy’s lower house of Parliament and called for greater transparency and grassroots involvement in selecting future candidates.
