TREVISO – Surprise: in the Statute commission the League voted in favor of revoking Benito Mussolini’s honorary citizenship, thus accepting the request presented by the compact centre-left. A real twist, however, occurred not so much because of a political position, but rather because of a question of conscience of Riccardo Scottà, a Northern League councilor, sent to the commission to represent the whole group but who didn’t feel like casting a vote for sure difficult. And, without practically notifying anyone, he decided to vote for erase the name of the Duce from the municipal lists, when in fact the majority line was another. A choice that caused quite a bit of dismay. Giuseppe Basso, group leader of the Lista Conte, literally rolled his eyes and called Christian Schiavon, group leader of the Northern League, to ask what had happened.
The rift
Because the agreed line was different and provided for a firm condemnation of fascism but also the rejection of the motion on the revocation of Mussolini because it was considered a provocation: «When you had the mayor you had five years to revoke it – said Basso during the discussion – and Antonella Tocchetto (first signatory of the Motion ed.) was president of the commission and could have done something. But you never did anything.” However, Scottà’s choice ruined everything. However, the center-right will regroup on Thursday in the city council, when the vote will really weigh and there will be no second thoughts. Giorgio De Nardi, however, had to object to the reasons expressed by the majority against the Mussolini motion: «History cannot be touched. Just as it is not right to demolish the Colosseum even though so many people were killed there, it is equally wrong to touch on a recognition given to Mussolini 100 years ago, in a completely different historical moment. In my opinion, these embarrassing arguments demonstrate the civic ignorance of this policy both in substance and in its methods. If a good deed is proposed by the opposition, it is systematically rejected a priori only because it is signed by the “enemy. We even go so far as to defend as a historical value the honorary citizenship of the most nefarious Italian in the history of our country, at the same time where you are offering it to his victim.”
Honorary citizenship to Matteotti
However, there was full cohesion on the other motion, that of recognizing honorary citizenship to Giacomo Matteotti in the year of the centenary of his murder by a fascist gang. The centre-right and centre-left all voted in favour. There was some spark only when Franco Rosi (Treviso Civica) smilingly recalled that the majority had appropriated a proposal made by him during the last municipal council: «You were better at arriving earlier», he reiterated.
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