The European Union is not typically characterized as a bastion of pro-life ideals but one Italian city is aiming to change that.

Verona is best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, this provincial capital is now making headlines for something very different. As The Local Italy reports, “Verona's town council voted to declare the northern Italian city officially ‘pro-life.’”

Despite push back from abortion advocacy groups such as Non Una di Meno, the council passed Motion 434 with a vote of 21-6 on Thursday, October 4th. The motion, put forward by councilman Alberto Zelger and backed by mayor Mayor Federico Sboarina, aims to discourage abortion which is permitted within the first 90 days of pregnancy by national law as well as promote motherhood.

Additionally, it calls for use of public funds to do this.

Specifically, Motion 434 includes the funding of life-affirming projects, financial support for mothers who choose to keep their babies, and requires the city hall to be equipped with materials encouraging women to place their children up for adoption if they are not able to raise them.

Non Una di Meno, who attended the courtroom wearing handmaid costumes during the vote, has also taken to Facebook, condemned the motion as giving “public funding to Catholic associations against abortion,” they also asked people to send emails as “a signal to the city councilors who… voted in favor of the motion 434.”

Will this be the beginning of a new future for the European Union — one that includes less forceps and more baby laughter — or will this remain a local phenomenon?

Only time will tell.

But what we do know is this: the future looks bright for preborn children of Verona.