“For the purposes pursued by the legislature, it is the expression of intent that determines the crystallization of the time limit established by law; therefore, the objection that the submission of the form by Mr. … through his counsel is merely a preliminary act and in no way a substitute for the formal declaration of election of citizenship to be made before the civil registrar is irrelevant. What matters, in fact, is that the expression of intent — in this case implicit in the submission of the form — is made in due time. The formal declaration, moreover, is rendered only following the scheduling of an appointment, which is an obligation and prerogative of the Administration, as the individual concerned cannot in any way dictate the municipality’s agenda.”
Project funded by the European Union's Citizens,