Minister for People with Disabilities Locatelli (Lega) opposes the separate classes proposed by the AfD: "Italy is a model of inclusion"

“The separate classes proposed by the AfD? I don’t like them. We are a model of inclusion.” This was stated on Radio 24 by Alessandra Locatelli, the League’s Minister for Disability Issues. The party’s secretary, Matteo Salvini, set himself apart from the rest of the majority by congratulating the German party on its landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt as soon as the first exit polls were released. “A resounding success, which highlights the strong demand for change, security and jobs. So much for those on the left who were fuelling fears and painting catastrophic scenarios,” he wrote. Perhaps forgetting, however, that one of the cornerstones of the AfD’s programme is precisely the de facto transfer of all children with disabilities to special schools. A proposal, incidentally, also championed by the leader of Futuro Nazionale, Roberto Vannacci.

The AfD has made it crystal clear: for children who will continue to attend school, the far-right party is considering separating them into “classes that are as homogeneous as possible” based on academic performance, needs and residence status. The “inclusion experiment”, as stated in the manifesto, is said to have failed and would therefore be discontinued: children of refugees should be separated from their German classmates into special classes, whilst those with disabilities should attend specialised schools rather than mixed classes. A proposal which, however, the League minister rejects. “I don’t like it. Italy has a long history of inclusion that began, above all, in schools in the 1970s. We are also a shining example, so much so that all other European and global countries ask us for information on how we managed to send all children to school together. This is the path we are on, and we hope that all countries in Europe and around the world will follow our example.” Salvini, however, welcomed the victory of those proposing a completely different vision. “Everyone has their own policies and programmes. We are not the same; even the centre-right in our country has areas of agreement and others where it disagrees, but that is normal. I believe,” he concluded, “that one of the added values of Italy and the League is having focused on inclusion. This is also demonstrated by the Ministry for People with Disabilities, which until a few years ago did not even exist.”