Meloni Addresses Immigration And Great Replacement Theory And Pope Francis Agrees

What's happening: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stands as the first Western European leader to address the great replacement theory, a belief that immigration into the West is deliberately designed to replace existing populations and reduce their sovereignty or representation in a democracy. She accuses Italy's left wing of trying to do so. Meloni refers to the phenomenon as "a plan for ethnic substitution" driven by powerful financial interests.

Italy's position: Italy experienced the sharpest drop in birthrates in Europe last year, reaching a record low. For the first time, the number of births fell below 400,000. This decline resulted in a fertility rate of just 1.24 children per woman, significantly lower than the 2.1 replacement level required for a population to sustain itself from one generation to the next. Without boosting these numbers, Italy would need to import migrants to sustain itself.

The agenda: Meloni's pro-natalist agenda includes reducing value-added tax on baby products and making childcare cheaper, while simultaneously opposing citizenship for babies born to immigrant families. She believes that Italy's workforce needs can be met by tapping into the underutilized potential of Italian women, rather than relying on immigrants.

Hardline on immigration: Italy's Senate has approved a sweeping immigration package under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government, aimed at curbing integration efforts and establishing government-controlled migrant centers for asylum seekers. Migrants will be required to remain in these centers, potentially for up to two years, while their applications are processed, limiting their ability to find independent housing or integrate into local communities. Additionally, Italy intends to launch information campaigns in migrants' home countries to discourage departure.

The Pope agrees: On Friday, Pope Francis cautioned that Europe is facing a "demographic winter" and urged Italians to have more children. He called on Italian politicians to address the financial uncertainty that has rendered child-rearing a "titanic effort" accessible only to the wealthy, emphasizing the need for concrete actions to resolve the issue.

In America, the media has also labeled reasonable concerns about the border crisis as “white supremacy.”