A few days before the long-awaited elections in Italy, a regional politician of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) harass party leader Giorgia Meloni. Romano La Russa, brother of political leader and co-founder of the Fratelli d’Italia party, Ignazio La Russa, can be seen in a video showing the fascist Roman salute.
The recordings were made at the funeral of his brother-in-law, a well-known representative of the Italian neo-fascists in Milan. La Russa was apparently encouraged by other mourners to also perform the gesture similar to the Hitler salute. The video quickly spread across the internet. La Russa explained that it was not a fascist salute, but part of a standard military funeral ritual in honor of a deceased comrade.
Salvini angry: ‘Could have saved us the greeting’
Milan’s prosecutors said they had not yet filed charges but were investigating the incident. Lega leader Matteo Salvini said Romano La Russa “could have saved us a Roman salute”. “I am pissed not only because of the case itself, but also because of the completely exaggerated way in which this greeting, desired by a dead person, is being handled. Meloni is also surprised at the uproar over the incident,” Ignazio criticized La Russa.
Polls suggest the right-wing party could become the strongest party in Sunday’s elections. Fratelli d’Italia has an alliance with Lega of ex-Interior Salvini and Forza Italia of ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Experts warn of worsening crises
Political experts warn that a right-wing election victory would exacerbate the country’s many crises. “The instability of a possible Melonis government and a very divided parliament could block a parliamentary solution to the many challenges the country faces,” political scientist Fernando D’Aniello said in a broadcast of the scientific network “Diskurs”.
For example, there is a risk that the necessary institutional reforms and socio-political measures will be delayed. “As Italy’s democracy has long been weakened, these elections could also exacerbate the social and economic crisis. It could also lead to Italy being seen as an unreliable partner at the international level and becoming less relevant,” the expert said.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
