ROME — The Chamber of Deputies in Italy’s Parliament, the arena where lawmakers berate each other, betray alliances and sometimes brawl, is not where Italians usually go to find affection for their fellow citizens.

That changed at least for a moment on Thursday, with an unusual proposal put forward by a lawmaker: Flavio Di Muro, a member of the League party, asked his girlfriend to marry him.

As he took a microphone to address the chamber, Mr. Di Muro spoke about the busy lifestyle led by many lawmakers, and the punishing toll it took on their personal lives. Behind him, Massimiliano Panizzut , another League lawmaker, was so absorbed in his phone that he barely raised an eyebrow during the speech.

“We neglect the true values, we neglect the people who care for us, we neglect those we love,” Mr. Di Muro said, before asking the assembly for respect, because “today is a special day for me.”