It won’t be size that matters any more for Italian soldiers and policeman but their strength, according to a draft law soon to be adopted by parliament, the Corriere della Sera said Wednesday.
A pair of Sardinian members of parliament who received dozens of letters of complaint from would-be recruits falling short of the current height limit have asked the government to change admission criteria for the security services.
At the moment, male recruits have to be at least 165 centimetres (5’5″) while their female colleagues have to be 161 centimetres (5’3″) or taller.
“I’ve been receiving letters for ages from young people who complain they have had to give up on the dream of wearing the uniform for a matter of one or two centimetres,” said Salvatore Cicu, one of the deputies behind the bill.
But while some, such as left-wing deputie Maria Grazia Lagana, say that “shorter people can perform some tasks better,” others are worried that the change will mean a loss of face when Italian troops square up to the enemy.
“Smaller soldiers are all well for going to war against the Chinese, but what shame against the Russians and the Americans!” said Giacomo Chiappori, a deputy from the populist and anti-immigrant Northern League Party.
Shorter recruits demand rights in Italy forces
