«We would need the VAR, look at the video carefully…”. Igor Iezzi, 49 years old, from Milan, group leader of the League in the Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Chamber, in his second term in Parliament, is the only one dressed in light. But in the images of the videos that go crazy on social media after eight in the evening, he is also the most rowdy, the one who repeatedly attacks the grillino Leonardo Donno, who wanted to give the Italian flag to Calderoli. Was he the one who hit him?
The president of the Montecitorio Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana, a Northern League member like Iezzi, has already asked for the videos. However, Iezzi admits everything, but he is sure of one thing: «I didn’t hit Donno – he swears -. I tried, yes, several times to attack him but I really didn’t throw the punch. And there wouldn’t even be a need for VAR, which usually helps to reconstruct the action when it comes to a question of centimetres. But we’re talking about meters here, I — see? — I’m a long way from Donno, there are other deputies who intervene, he says so too…”. In fact, the grillino indicated that the Northern League member was also present in the crowd Stefano Candiani and then Gerolamo Cangiano and Enzo Amich of FdI who reject the accusations (“He has the wrong person”, says Cangiano). «However – continues the Honorable Iezzi – remaining on the subject of football, I did the foul, I’m not hiding it. But Donno staged a simulation, a much more serious foul: he fell like a pear and came out in a wheelchair.”
The versions, as always happens in these cases, are different. And after the fight it happens that the Transatlantic when now the session was suspended it really turns into one Var room with deputies from all political parties reviewing the scene projected on the screens of their cell phones and relaunched on social media: «A real attack suffered by Donno», comment some of his opposition colleagues. The Avs deputy, Marco Grimaldi, was there: «Donno was punched in the head and he felt bad.” Even the Avs leader, Nicola Fratoianni, reconstructs the scene: «My colleague Donno had simply approached the government benches to try to hand over the tricolor and was caught and expelled by Fontana. But there was no danger for anyone, but then some deputies of the majority, I saw as well as Iezzi Federico Mollicone (FdI), they came down from the benches aiming at him.” «The left had been provoking autonomy for hours, chants, flags – confirms Iezzi – And in the end there were fifty of us…».
Glowing afternoon. In fact, shortly before the punches, President Lorenzo Fontana had expelled another deputy of the League, Domenico Furgiuele, had already done so the sign of the Decima Mas in response to the opposition’s Bella ciao chorus. “The provocation was responded to with a gesture that could not fail to be provocative – Furgiuele’s explanation as he left the Chamber – But the voice of the person singing was louder”.
FdI, however, also reports “beatings” by the opposition, in particular by the Democratic Party. Fabio Pietrella of Fratelli d’Italia: «I was trying to calm things down in the chamber when I stopped Toni Ricciardi of the Democratic Party. And as soon as I stopped him he gave me two crutches on the chest». Another dem exponent, Nico Stupo, he was expelled for throwing a chair at the government benches (“As a symbolic gesture, not against a person”, say his colleagues).
Minister Calderolifor its part, confirms that he was afraid when he saw Donno approaching: «If someone sees a car, what does he do? Does it cross or stop? I don’t know with what intentions someone approaches…”. she says. But now that everyone got out of the ring (and Donno was taken to hospital for checks) Iezzi regains his composure: «I made a mistake with him, of course, but I certainly won’t apologize to him. What should I apologize for? He made the scene…”. And on his Facebook page he posts a YouTube video on “the most absurd and epic simulations of football”, led by Juventus player Dybala who fell against Real Madrid in 2018.
