Istalia

[XanderOne]

"Protect, not censor": Government presents its plan to protect young people after the Satta Scandal

Cantalamessa announces a package of measures to combat moral degeneration and protect the new generations. Francesca Pizzi (UOD) criticized the government harshly, while Trevi (D&L) opened an unexpected dialogue with the latter

.

April 5684

---

ROMULA - Minister Secretary of State Marina Cantalamessa, as promised since the electoral campaing, presented today a national intervention plan aimed at strengthening the moral and psychological protection of young people, after the Satta Scandal had reignited the national debate on the degeneration of morals and the role of the state in defending civil values.

The new package, which adds to the measures hastily enacted by the previous government, this time focuses on the younger generations: a set of educational, regulatory and prevention policies designed to "protect our children from the most toxic influences of contemporary society", as Cantalamessa stated during a conference at Antinori Palace.

We don't want a censored society, but a conscious society. Young people must be able to grow up freely, but also protected from content, models and messages that don't respect their age or development. It's the institutions' duty to support them, not leave them alone in a world that wants them to be consumers before citizens.

The program presented by the Government is based on three main pillars, with a progressive approach that aims to integrate schools, families and the media in the education of new generations:

Media and digital awareness education

• Introduction, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education and Culture, of a mandatory Digital and Cultural Education curriculum from primary school to high school;
  
• Creation in the schools of Local Media Literacy Centers where experts, psychologists and sociologists will support families in monitoring exposure to online content;
  
• Strengthening public awareness campaigns on the impact of social networks and toxic communication models.
  

Regulation of digital content and protection of minors

• Introduction of a mandatory Age Rating System for digital platforms and social networks, with classifications similar to those already in place in the audiovisual sector;
  
• Creation of a National Register of Content for Minors, which certifies and promotes content deemed educational, sustainable and positive for the psychological development of young people;
  
• Collaboration with major online platforms to implement Age Verification Systems and limit the most impactful content, without resorting to direct censorship;
  
• Introduction and promotion of Ethical Communication Standards developed by an interdisciplinary committee of experts in psychology, sociology and pedagogy.
  

Promotion of a culture of collective responsibility

• Funds for artistic and cultural programs that promote positive and responsible role models, through a National Fund for Ethical and Civic Culture;
  
• Launch of the "Let's Grow Together campaign", which will invite influencers, artists and public figures to make an ethical commitment to young people, as "trusted mentors" for the future generation;
  
• Incentives for media outlets, production companies and digital platforms that voluntarily adhere to the new responsible communication standards.
  

Reiterating his government's commitment to the anti-paternalistic principles of the Alliance for Change, Cantalamessa stated:

Our goal is not to punish, but to educate. We don't want to impose ideological limits, but to create a healthier environment. The state will never dictate what can and cannot be said. But the state must ensure that our children can grow up in safety, with the freedom to become informed adults.

The opposition's reaction was immediate. Francesca Pizzi, leader of the Hosian Democratic Union, harshly criticized the new measures, calling them "yet another decoy for a left that cannot choose between permissiveness and responsibility".

This government is afraid to reaffirm a clear moral order. Instead of protecting our children, he prefers to remain a prisoner of the libertarian cultural relativism that has made them disillusioned, lost and devoid of values. It's time for the state to return to promoting virtue, not managing decadence.

Words echoed by the patriotic wing of the National Liberal Party, now increasingly distant from a weakened leadership incapable of containing internal pressures.

Antonio Trevi, instead, new leader of Democracy & Freedom, ulthough he expressed openness to some of the government's measures, surprisingly criticized their limited scope:

Freedom is not absolute if it crushes that of others. Just as democracy defends itself even with measures that may seem restrictive, freedom can also be regulated to protect itself and the most vulnerable.

This stance has surprised many political observers due to what seems a new openness to the Hosian Democratic Union. This is an unexpected move for a leader of D&L, long considered the most liberal and libertarian party in the Istalian political spectrum. Yet, this tactical shift seems driven by the need to recover from the blow of the Satta Scandal and, at the same time, not preclude future agreements with an evolving center-right, currently shifting more toward traditionalist and conservative positions. This maneuver gains weight in a context in which the PNL, engulfed by the same scandal, appears paralyzed and torn by growing internal tensions and the UOD is profiting of this to consolidate this new role of leadership.