Constitutional Court and Italian Citizenship: Joint Examination of the Campobasso and Mantua Cases at the Hearing of June 9, 2026

On April 10, 2026, the Italian Constitutional Court ordered the consolidation of proceedings originating from the courts of Campobasso and Mantua concerning Italian citizenship jure sanguinis. In particular, the three pending cases—two from Campobasso and one from Mantua—will be examined jointly during a single hearing scheduled for June 9, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in Rome.

At the center of the debate is Article 3-bis of Law No. 91/1992, as amended by Law No. 74/2025. This provision introduced new limitations on the recognition of citizenship by descent, raising interpretative doubts and questions of constitutional legitimacy.

The court of Campobasso raised particularly significant concerns, highlighting how the rule could affect a right already acquired at birth, potentially conflicting with fundamental principles of the Constitution and European Union law, including equality and non-discrimination.

Compared to other issues already submitted to the Court, such as the one originating from Turin, the proceedings now consolidated have a broader scope. They do not merely challenge individual aspects of the legislation but question the overall legitimacy of the reform, including procedural issues such as the adoption of the measure through an emergency process.

A further point of interest concerns the Turin case itself: the decision relating to the hearing held on March 11 has not yet been made public. Developments and clarifications are therefore awaited, which could impact the overall interpretative framework once the ruling becomes available.

The hearing of June 9 is therefore shaping up to be a crucial moment for the future of Italian citizenship by descent, with possible repercussions both domestically and at the European level, and for many descendants of Italian citizens who are waiting to understand whether and how the legislation on Italian citizenship will change again following the entry into force of Law No. 74/2025.

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The content of this article is intended to provide general information on the topic. For doubts or specific cases, it is advisable to seek specialized legal advice tailored to your particular situation.

Article written by Alessia Ajelli, Managing Associate of LCA Studio Legale, Italian lawyer specialized on Italian immigration and citizenship law, and Paolo Grassi, Trainee of LCA Studio Legale.