Italy’s left-wing opposition parties requested Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to take action and even disband the group of far-right militants who on Sunday commemorated the death of three former members and were seen making fascist salutes during a rally in Rome.
Monday marked the anniversary of the Acca Larentia massacre, in which three young members of the Italian Social Movement (right-wing party) were killed on 7 January 1978. Every year, the deaths of the young people killed during the “years of the plumb bob”, when political dialectics turned to violence, are commemorated.
But parallel to the institutional ceremony, there was a spontaneous one organised by far-right militants, who, in the video that went viral, can be seen giving the fascist salute several times in unison.
However, the proximity of the two events in time and place caused controversy, and the presence of two representatives of Fratelli d’Italia (ECR) – the president of the Lazio region, Francesco Rocca, and the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, Fabio Rampelli – at the institutional event prompted the left-wing opposition parties to call on Meloni to distance himself from the events.
“Making Roman salutes does not belong to us”, commented Rampelli, while the press office of Fratelli d’Italia speaks of “the usual hypocrisy of the left” given that that ceremony that had militants do the fascist salute is not something new.
“Until now, even under PD (left-wing) governments, it has been considered not to intervene to prevent it. Curious that the left has only now changed its mind. To use the memory of the tragic death of three young men killed by communist hatred to make vicious propaganda is sleazy and cowardly”, reads the note from Meloni’s party.
However, these words are not sufficient for the opposition, with Democratic Party (S&D) leader Elly Schlein announcing that she will submit a parliamentary question to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
‘What happened is not acceptable (…) Neo-fascist organisations must be disbanded, as the (Italian) Constitution says”, Schlein clarified.
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (5-Star Movement) added that Meloni should say something since having an institutional role as Prime Minister now.
“We are facing an apology for fascism, and it is a crime. I read that Rampelli has distanced himself, it would be good if the Prime Minister also distanced herself. I think she has no difficulty since she said she has no nostalgia for fascism”, Conte said.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
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