Italian education minister calls 'Italy for Italians' slogan 'shareable', orders school probe after student punishment

What happened at the school

Two students at the Liceo Classico Vincenzo Monti in Cesena displayed a banner reading 'L'Italia agli italiani' ('Italy for the Italians') from a classroom window on 6 June 2026, during the final days of the school year. The students described the act as a prank. The school's class council responded by assigning them a conduct grade of 6 out of 10 and requiring them to submit a civic education essay before their maturità exam. The assigned materials included a study of Italy's racial laws and the essay 'Gli africani siamo noi' ('We are the Africans') by Guido Barbujani.

Initially, some newspapers reported that the students had also shouted slogans linked to the X Mas wartime unit, but one of the students, interviewed by Corriere di Bologna, denied that account.

The minister's parliamentary response

Responding to a parliamentary question from Rossano Sasso of Futuro Nazionale during question time at the Chamber of Deputies, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara defended the banner's message. 'The statement "Italy for the Italians" is not only unobjectionable, but is certainly acceptable because it encompasses all citizens of our country,' Valditara said. He added that the phrase 'has been repeatedly used by the political movements that constitute the government.'

The statement 'Italy for the Italians' is not only unobjectionable, but is certainly acceptable because it encompasses all citizens of our country. It is a phrase repeatedly used by the political movements that constitute the government.

Valditara confirmed he has launched an inspection through the Emilia-Romagna Regional School Office, which is still underway. He acknowledged that the ministry has no direct authority over a single class council's evaluation process, but stated the investigation aims to clarify whether the assignment was linked to the banner's content rather than to a violation of school conduct rules.

The investigation's scope

Under the recent school conduct reform championed by Valditara, disciplinary measures must have an educational purpose and strengthen students' sense of responsibility. The minister stressed that 'in no case may the free expression of opinions that do not conflict with the freedoms of others be sanctioned.' He also cited a ministerial circular urging schools to 'counter all forms of indoctrination.'

The central question for inspectors is whether the class council, in assigning the depth study on racial laws and the essay, was influenced by the banner incident and its content. 'Should the inspection reveal a link between the content of the critical essay and the expression used on the banner, and not, as required by the rules we recently introduced, with the violation of school conduct rules, it would certainly be a serious episode, in contrast with the professional ethics of teachers,' Valditara told parliament.

Political reactions

Rossano Sasso, formerly of the League and now with Futuro Nazionale, framed the incident as 'yet another case of indoctrination by left-wing teachers,' adding that Italian schools are 'oppressed by the noose of progressive drift.' Sasso and General Roberto Vannacci had previously announced plans for a September campaign to display similar banners in schools nationwide, invoking Article 21 of the Constitution on freedom of thought and opposing what they call the 'woke drift' of Italian education.

How can anyone think of punishing a boy for expressing such a beautiful, strong, proudly patriotic concept as 'Italy for the Italians'?

The Democratic Party issued a sharp rebuttal through Irene Manzi, the party's education lead and group leader on the Chamber's Education Committee. She called the slogan part of 'the lexicon of the worst supremacism' and warned that a minister endorsing it makes the phrase 'even more dangerous.'

Sending inspectors into schools to challenge the critical essay assigned to the Cesena students, by virtue of a law he himself wanted and drafted, constantly trivialises the educational and teaching function carried out daily in classrooms. Indeed, it puts it under accusation.

What happens next

The inspection at the Liceo Monti remains ongoing, and no final conclusions have been announced. The two students are still required to submit their civic education essay before their maturità examinations. The case is likely to fuel further political debate when the inspection results are released.