The Italian Senate has given its first approval to a bill aimed at combating anti-Semitism, passing the measure with 105 votes in favor, 24 against, and 21 abstentions. The legislation, which was solidly backed by the center-right coalition, Italia Viva, and Azione, has exposed a significant fracture within the opposition Partito Democratico (PD).
A Party Divided
The official line of the PD group was to abstain from the vote. However, six senators from the party's "reformist" wing broke ranks and voted in favor of the bill. This group includes former minister Graziano Delrio, who had previously presented his own legislative proposal on the topic—a move not endorsed by the party leadership. The other five senators who voted 'Yes' were Alfredo Bazoli, Pier Ferdinando Casini, Filippo Sensi, Walter Verini, and Sandra Zampa. Notably, Senator Tatjana Rojc was present in the chamber but did not participate in the vote.
The Core of the Controversy
The most contentious aspect of the bill is its adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. This definition includes a series of "indicators" for identifying anti-Semitic actions. These indicators have been heavily criticized by pro-Palestinian associations and much of the center-left, who argue they are overly vague and ambiguous.
During the committee review stage, amendments from both the majority and opposition were accepted, removing two of the most criticized elements from the original text proposed by League senator Massimiliano Romeo: a ban on public demonstrations and specific criminal penalties.
Justifying the Break
In a statement explaining his vote, Graziano Delrio framed the decision as a necessary step forward. "Some PD senators will vote for this measure not out of dissent with the group, but because this provision breaks a silence in democratic culture, a timidity of the country that has not discussed enough an emergency and a problem," he said. "We believe it is better to take a small step forward and, for that assumption of responsibility requested by personalities like [Holocaust survivor] Liliana Segre and [historian] David Ottolenghi, we believe it is right to give confidence to a text that gives hope to young people, to boys and girls, who can say that Parliament is on their side to fight this scourge."
The bill's passage highlights a practical political tradeoff: achieving legislative progress on a sensitive issue versus maintaining party unity. The split vote reveals the internal pressures and differing priorities within a major opposition force, setting a precedent for future debates on similarly charged topics.
