How does Italy’s Prime Minister feel about the historical fascism in her country? A distancing from Benito Mussolini and his heirs is still pending. A newspaper report provides evidence of how closely Meloni’s party Fratelli d’Italia continues to be linked to militant right-wing extremists.
If you are wondering what is preventing Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from unequivocally distancing herself from fascism once and for all, a report published in the left-liberal newspaper “Domani” at the end of August might, if not provide an answer, at least give rise to a suspicion.
First of all, it should be remembered that Meloni is also the leader of the right-wing party Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), which in turn is the successor to the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) party, which was founded in 1946 by former fascists. The flame, which is also present in the FdI party symbol, commemorates them.
The murdered comrades
And now for the facts: At the end of August, the daily newspaper “Domani” published a report about the purchase of the former MSI party headquarters. The right-wing radical association Acca Larenzia had been based in these premises for several years.
The name Acca Larenzia refers to the address Via Acca Larentia, but above all to a tragic incident that occurred on January 7, 1978. In front of the then party headquarters of the MSI, three members of the far-right youth organization Fronte della Gioventù, all around 20 years old, were shot dead by members of a far-left splinter group.
Every year on January 7, the Acca Larenzia association commemorates the three murdered Camerati, as the militant right-wing extremists call themselves. This year they did not shy away from raising their right hands in salute and shouting “presente” three times in typical Fascio fashion. The photos of the crowd with their arms raised, illuminated by spotlights, were frightening and it was said that the public prosecutor’s office had opened an investigation into glorification of fascism. What came of it, however, is not known.
In memory of the three victims of 1978, the wall of the association’s building bears the inscription: “Murdered by the hatred of the communists.” According to media reports, memorabilia from the fascist era are kept in the premises.
30,000 Euro financial injection
Officially, the Fratelli d’Italia party and the Acca Larenzia association have nothing to do with each other. But when it was announced that the premises were for sale, the association was helped. Or rather, it was the party foundation Fondazione Alleanza Nazionale, as “Domani” reported. The foundation is the guardian of the history of the post-fascist right, from the founding of the MSI to the present day. The premises (55 square meters) were asked for 68,500 euros, the foundation contributed 30,000 euros, and the association paid the rest. The purchase contract was sealed in July 2023.
Giuseppe Valentino, chairman of the Alleanza Nazionale Foundation, recently confirmed that everything was done “in accordance with the association’s statutes.” Acca Larenzia also did not deny the financial injection, but described the level reached by “so-called investigative journalism” as “despicable and pathetic.”
Better not to scare away the allies
As written, the foundation and the party are officially independent entities. But that is not entirely true. Apart from the fact that the Fondazione Alleanza Nazionale and the party newspaper “Secolo d’Italia” are based in Via della Scrofa and are thus next door to the FdI party headquarters, the foundation’s board of directors also includes high-ranking party officials. Among them are the Prime Minister’s sister, Arianna Meloni, and the Deputy President of the Chamber of Deputies, Fabio Rampelli.
If you want to get an idea of Acca Larenzia yourself, you can visit Facebook page Here you come across terms such as blood and fatherland; here it is not only the Camerati that are remembered with a “presente”. SS officer Léon Degrelle and the neo-fascist and terrorist Pierluigi Concutelli, who died in March, are also honored. The latter with the sentence “Etsi mortuus urit”, which loosely translated means that his ideas survive his death.
Finally, back to the initial question: Why does Meloni not unequivocally distance herself from fascism? Perhaps because she does not want to alienate her voters and allies. These obviously include the members of Acca Laurentia.