The project of attracting EU senior citizens to Italian southern regions has been proposed by  Lega, the Right wing party ascending power, led by Matteo Salvini, who intends to reverse population decline, offering tax free decade to Europeans, settling in economically fragile areas.

Lega party proposes effective measures to reverse the chronic population decline in traditionally poorer regions of the country, suffering from economic stagnation and high employment by attracting Europeans to settle there promising liberation from tax burdens for 10 years.

The pilot-project will initially focus on three  regions suffering population decline –Sardinia,  Sicily and Calabria.

“We think it could appeal to foreigners – Italy is a beautiful country,” said Alberto Brambilla, economic adviser to Matteo Salvini, now the interior minister and head of leader of of the party.

“We’re trying to provide an incentive for the transfer of older people (towards the south),” Mr Brambilla, who came up with the idea, told La Repubblica newspaper.

The scheme will be open not only to Italians but to the EU citizens, however the seniors remain the major target group of the project.