Extra stop becomes political gossip
Meloni’s brother-in-law forces the express train to make an exclusive stop
November 23, 2023, 11:54 a.m
You have an important work appointment to attend, who doesn’t know that? Italy’s Agriculture Minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, sees no problem in stopping an express train because of this. The opposition is outraged and demands his resignation.
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s brother-in-law, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, is being criticized because a delayed high-speed train was apparently stopped specifically for him. The Italian railways confirmed that the Frecciarossa super-fast train – comparable to an ICE – made an unscheduled stop on the route from Rome to Naples after a delay of almost two hours.
There the minister from the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party got into a car that took him to the next appointment. There are now calls for his resignation from the opposition. Lollobrigida justified himself by saying that the train had not stopped just for him when it was 111 minutes late. Other passengers could also have used the opportunity to get off in the small town of Ciampino outside Rome.
In fact, according to a report in the newspaper “Fatto Quotidiano”, which publicized the extra stop, only one or two of his employees left the train. The state railway company Trenitalia said on Wednesday evening that the unscheduled stop did not lead to any major delays or additional costs.
Lollobrigida has been in the cabinet as agriculture minister for a year since the Italian right’s electoral success. He is married to Prime Minister Meloni’s sister.