Speaking to the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party at the Gioventù Nazionale festival in Rome, Meloni said the proposal also includes compulsory Italian‑language lessons for parents of foreign pupils who are deemed to have "serious difficulties integrating into the school system."
"For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture and respect our rules," she told the audience, which gave her a standing ovation.
The draft measure, once approved by the cabinet, must be passed by parliament within 60 days to become law, according to Meloni’s outline.
While the bill targets full‑face coverings – specifically the burqa and the niqab – Meloni did not mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by many Muslim women.
Meloni, whose political roots lie in the far‑right, has built a reputation for a hard line on migration. Over her tenure she has shifted from a nationalist outsider to a more mainstream figure within the European Union, a transition she says is aimed at “welcoming” newcomers on the condition of cultural assimilation.
The proposal comes as the centre‑right government, now Italy’s longest‑serving uninterrupted administration since World War II, seeks to boost its popularity ahead of the general election scheduled for next year. Earlier this month the cabinet also announced an exemption from a disliked property tax for owners of small‑ and medium‑sized cars and scooters.
If enacted, the legislation would mark the first time Italy has imposed a numerical ceiling on foreign students and a ban on specific religious attire in public schools, raising questions about its compatibility with EU anti‑discrimination rules and the country’s own constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.