Some speak of the Jews as a “caste“, someone else first expresses solidarity with Esther Mieli – senator of the Brothers of Italy and former spokesperson of the Jewish community in Rome – and then says he “takes the piss out of swastikas“. But there are also chats where we talk about “comrades“, of “blacks who stink” because “in Africa they are not used to water”, of “infamous Jews” and it is stated that “the down are impaired“. The second episode of the investigation by Fanpage on the Roman Pinciano club of National Youththe youth organization of the Brothers of Italy, sends the party’s synapses into disarray Georgia Meloni. After the silence of Georgia Meloni and the timid defense of the organization entrusted after the first episode to the minister for relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani, something has moved in the ranks of the main majority party. Between the embarrassment of Senator Mieli herself, targeted by the new recruits of her own party, and the words of condemnation pronounced by the organization manager Giovanni Donzellibrought directly into play for his relationships with some militants, but arrived only after a real “u” turn that occurred yesterday evening.
“As a Senator of the Italian Republic and member of FdI, I don’t recognize myself in those images, in those behaviors and in those words that were shown – Mieli states in a note -. I don’t find the reality I know of the Brothers of Italy and the National Youth. It is clear that the presence of nostalgic elements bowed to a reprehensible and criminal past they do not belong to me. The words and behavior expressed there are for me a reason for condemnation and disapproval. I am sure that the leaders of FdI will be able to confirm the vocation and substance of a conservative party completely free from dangerously nostalgic ideologies and behaviors”.
Difficult, in fact, for the vice president of Secret Commission on anti-Semitic hatred, remaining silent in front of a militant who states in the video: “The Jews are one caste, Campanian income by virtue of the Holocaust. Are too many, I despise them as a race, because objectively it is a race. There is it Aryan racethere is it Jewish racethere is the black race”.
Donzelli’s backtracking on the matter is dizzying. “I don’t give any credibility to biased investigations of the press left-wing militants – attacks the deputy, responsible for organizing FdI in the late afternoon -. The attempt to represent Fratelli d’Italia as an extremist and nostalgic movement is pathetic and insults more than a quarter of Italian voters who voted for Fdi – he says again when arriving at an electoral event in Ponsacco, where the center-right won the Municipality -. In Fratelli d’Italia there is no room for racists, anti-Semites, violent people and those nostalgic for the dictatorships of the twentieth century. But from what we see these days there is ample space for these people on the left. Too bad these self-styled journalists of investigation maintain a desolate silence on everything that happens on the left.”
In the evening, however, the tone changes radically and even the announcement of measures arrives: “We reiterate: no room in Fratelli d’Italia for racists, extremists and anti-Semites – says Donzelli in a note -. They are unacceptable, despite the ways in which they were captured and disseminated, the phrases heard in videos released today which show militants of our party using language incompatible with the reference values of our political movement. Solidarity with Senator Ester Mieli for the insults directed at her. Brothers of Italy will intervene with great firmness towards those responsible”, concludes Donzelli, who in this second episode is directly brought into question due to his professional connection with two exponents of the organisation: Caterina Funelmember of the Fdi conference secretariat, e Ilaria Partipilopresident of Gioventù Nazionale in Bari, whose relationships with the Undersecretary of Health are highlighted Marcello Gemmatoby Brothers of Italy.
A first consequence could be the resignation of Flaminia Pace. Second The Republicthe FdI representative left his position in National Youth Council“the consultative body responsible for representing young people in discussions with institutions for any discussion on policies that concern the world of youth, established by Law no. 145/2018”. The body is “a member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) which represents the interests of young Europeans at international institutions”. “The most beautiful thing – says Pace in the Fanpage video – was yesterday take the piss out of swastikas and then I had made the press release in solidarity with Ester Mieli“.
Today also came a clear stance from the Jewish Community of Rome, which condemned “the shameful images of racism and anti-Semitism emerged from the investigation Fanpage and expresses solidarity with Senator Ester Mieli, victim of intolerable offenses – reads a note from the president Victor Fadlun -. We ask that they be caught adequate measures, also from FdI as announced. It is imperative that society and institutions react forcefully against all forms of hatred and discrimination.”
