Italian left launches childcare campaign – Education 0-6

1 March 2007


The PES Childcare Campaign had its official Italian launch today in Rome. 

The Italian PES member party – the Democratici di Sinistra led by Piero Fassino and which provides the largest number of MPs in the Prodi Government coalition – is promoting a new law which would give all children a right to a place in a crèche and nursery school. The party has collected 200,000 signatures in support of this innovative law which stresses the right to education from birth to the age of six, and for flexible pre-school childcare services to meets the specific needs of children and families. The law is now being considered by the Senate – where it is being promoted by DS Senator Anna Serafini who is Chair of the All-Parliamentary Committee for Childhood.

In Italy only ten per cent of children under the age of three have a nursery place – compared to over 60 per cent in Denmark. The DS says that couples wanting a nursery place for their child often face a long waiting list and acknowledges that Italy does not invest enough in its children. However the left in Italy has a much better record in providing childcare – which is primarily a local, provincial and regional Government responsibility – than the right.

Speaking at the press conference to launch the campaign in Italy were PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, DS Leader Piero Fassino and Anna Serafini.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said “Italy is famous for its love of children, and the DS is taking very concrete measures to boost the education of children from a very young age, and to give a helping hand to the whole family. But their emphasis is on the benefits for children which is absolutely correct.”



FOR MORE INFORMATION: Julian Scola, Press Officer, Party of European Socialists, Rue du Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394,