Georgia Meloni, leader of extrema-direita transalpina ea the best candidate for the post of head of the next government in Italycomes under fire after the publication of a video of a Ukrainian woman being raped by a refugee.
A 55-year-old woman was attacked on a street in Piacenza on Sunday by a man from Guinea, local authorities said. The crime was filmed by a resident through the window of the apartment. However, police have confirmed that the rape suspect is in custody while the investigation continues.
Meloni – leader of the Brothers of Italy (Brothers of Italy, or FDI, in its Italian acronym), the post-fascist party he helped found buried the National Alliance that replaced the neo-fascists of the Italian Social Movement. He made it to the last legislative election in 2018 as a minor partner in a coalition of far-right and right-wing Silvio Berlusconi. since then it the only party that has always grownhaving received from 23% to 25% of the popular vote in recent polls.
Meloni shared on Instagram a video of the attack that had previously been published by an Italian newspaper with a censored image. “One cannot remain silent in the face of this horrendous episode of sexual abuse against a Ukrainian woman by an asylum seeker during the afternoon in Piacenza,” Meloni wrote. “Hug this woman. I will do my best to restore security in our cities.”
On Twitter, the same repost caused a flurry of criticism from both ordinary citizens and political opponents of Meloni. “It is indecent to use images of rape. It is even more indecent to do it for election purposes. Respect for people and victims always comes first,” wrote Enrico Letta. Leader of the Democratic Party (PD), center left, on Twitter.
Another Centrist leader, Carlo Calenda, called Meloni’s partition “immoral”. Igiaba Skego, a well-known Italian writer with Somali roots, accused the far-right leader of exploiting the victim. “It was proposed as clickbait instead of protection. This election campaign is terrible,” wrote Shego.
Meloni, who advocates a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrant ships from leaving the region, said on Facebook that her rivals used the gap to attack her, while ignoring the victim and what he called an “immigration emergency”.
Meloni is trying to soften the image of a right-wing radical
Meloni has attempted to soften his image at home and give him credibility from the outside by countering the right-wing radicalism that the party believes rivals and potential partners are trying to support.
Silvio Berlusconi, leader of Forza Italia (right-wing liberals, 7% to 10% of the vote) and one of the partners in a possible coalition, says he fears Meloni and his extreme positions will alienate voters from his party.
This argument was also used by Meloni’s most serious opponent, Enrico Letta, leader of the Italian Democratic Party (center-left, with 22% to 23% voting intentions), who warned that in the September 25 elections options will almost certainly be between the two blocs: progressive and centrist – where he belongs – and another right-wing populist.
To soften this image of himself and the party, Meloni, 45, in the midst of preparations for the next election campaign, is reported in the Italian press to have instructed FdI regional offices to warn members to avoid harsher statements, mention fascist ideology and not publicly give the “Roman salute”. ”, which consists in extending the right hand in a gesture similar to the Nazi salute.
The FDI leader continues to defend radical positions on many issues, such as stating her opposition to what she called “lobby LGBT and immigration, at a campaign event in Spain in support of the far-right Vox party.
But speaking earlier this year at the Conservative Political Action Conference, for example, he was one of the strongest voices calling for action against Russia. with Lusa