Italy mulls ban on English in formal communication; new bill may impose hefty fine

Italians who use English and or foreign languages for formal communication could soon have to pay hefty fines of up to €100,000 ($108,705) as Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s Brors of Italy party puts forth a new legislation. According to CNN, Fabio Rampelli, a member of lower chamber of deputies, recently introduced a legislation that bars use of foreign languages, especially English, as “Anglomania” continues to pose a threat to Italian culture and economy.

“It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania has repercussions for society as a whole,” draft bill states. It mentions that using English to formally communicate “demeans and mortifies” Italian language. controversial bill is yet to undergo a parliamentary debate. 

If passed, it will mandate anyone who holds public office to possess “written and oral knowledge and mastery of Italian language.” Furrmore, bill forbids using English for official documentation, including use of “acronyms and names” of job positions.

What does bill encompass? 

It also requires foreign entities to have Italian-language editions of all documents and employment contracts, and firms that deal with non-Italian speakers to use Italian as primary language. Article 2 of bill would make Italian “mandatory for promotion and use of public goods and services in national territory.” Not abiding by proposed law would result in fines that range from €5,000 ($5,435) to €100,000 ($108,705).

To make sure that Italian language remains a top focus at all levels, Culture Ministry would also establish a committee that would ensure “correct use of Italian language and its pronunciation” in educational institutions, vertising, and media. move comes merely a day after Italy became first Western country to temporarily ban AI chatbox ChatGPT over privacy concerns. “re appears to be no legal basis underpinning massive collection and processing of personal data in order to ‘train’ algorithms on which platform relies,” said Italy's data protection agency.