The Swedish radio reported the comments

In Italy, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s participation in a conference of anti-abortion shows yet another conflict between the two parties in the government.

At the international family congress in Verona, Salvini said that gay couples should not be parents.

"I admit that a child is entitled to both a mother and a father," said Interior Minister Matteo Salvini from the right-wing La Lega, at a press conference in Verona. He does not mind gay couples, but he does not believe they should not have the right to have children.

He advocates free kindergarten, encourages adoption, and bonuses for multi-family families. And defends his participation in the family congress with the fact that he is in favor of all initiatives that encourage more children to be born in Italy. Today, Italy has among the lowest birth rates in the world, only an average of 1.3 children per woman.

Even gay couples are entitled to have children, even though it is a disputed right in Italy.

Around 40,000 people demonstrated for women’s rights in Verona and against the municipality even giving the family congress a special protection.

At the same time, during a conference held in Rome with Salvini’s government partner, the anti-establishment movement Femstjärnerörelsen. The leader Luigi Di Maio said there he also wanted to encourage childbirth, but called the participants at the Verona conference for fanatics.

 Here with us reason makes sense, but in Verona one addresses this theme in a medieval way. We look to the future, he said.

The five-star movement also said that they will attend a manifestation for the LGBTQ movement in May.