La Russa commemora la nascita Msi: “Fiamma simbolo d’amore”. Pd: non sa fare i conti con il passato
“Christmas had just passed, the war had ended a little over a year ago, and a group of men, defeated by history, defeated by war, and defeated in their militancy, contemplated the future. They did not attempt to overturn by force what, in any case, would have been impossible to overturn,” but “accepted the democratic system and established a party, the Italian Social Movement.” This is the voice of the Senate President, Ignazio La Russa, who, in a video posted on social media late last night, commemorates the founding – on December 26, 1946 – of the Msi. This reflection, however, provoked a strong reaction from the Pd.
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Against the backdrop of a sparkling tree and a Santa Claus peeking in, La Russa stands in a blue sweater, without a tie, reminiscing about the moments leading up to the Msi’s founding, recalling the intentions of its founders as well as the significance of that tricolor flame, a historic symbol of the Italian right. He states, while remembering the founders of the Italian Social Movement, “these men did not surrender, nor did they ask for even a moment to turn back, but instead thought about the future. They did not reject their past, but – he emphasizes – they did not seek to restore it: they did not wish to repeat what had been; they wanted an Italy that moved toward the future, well or poorly, with their ideas, with their legacy of defeat, with their hope for the future.” Furthermore, “they placed in the name of their party not the word party, but ‘movement’,” something – La Russa underscores – that “was important to them, it was essential. They immediately placed the word ‘social’ after ‘movement’ because they wanted their actions to be in favor of ordinary people. And finally, they included the third word, ‘Italian’, because even then, national identity was their strong point.”
From the recollection of the founders and the explanation of the words, La Russa’s digression then focuses on the symbol: the tricolor flame. “Many years have passed, many things have changed, the vision of the men who succeeded each other, who have taken their legacy, has matured, improved, and altered significantly, but that symbol has remained a symbol of continuity,” the Senate President recalls. Moreover, he adds in the video, “it is also a symbol of love, of resilience. A symbol that looks to Italy’s future and not to its past, while not forgetting our history.”
The Reactions
This video reignites the debate, particularly from those who criticize the cultural legacy of the Italian right. “Absurd – exclaims the secretary of the Pd presidency in the Chamber, Stefano Vaccari – The President of the Senate and second-highest office of the state, Ignazio La Russa, claims the founding of the Italian Social Movement in 1946, which was led by Giorgio Almirante, the fascist leader who directed the magazine ‘Defence of the Race’ and who wrote ‘racism must be the food for all and for everyone’.”
“Even – continues the Democratic representative – Senator La Russa speaks of the continuity of that history, evoking the tricolor flame, a clear symbol in the logo of Brothers of Italy, his party.” After recalling the “busts of Mussolini,” which were at the center of recent controversies involving La Russa, Vaccari states: “We were aware of his struggles to come to terms with his past, but that he would reach such audacity was unimaginable. It is truly shameful that we continue to offend in this manner those who, military, partisans, civilians, fought and sacrificed their lives to restore democracy and freedom to Italy, which allows President La Russa to speak ignobly regarding his role.”
For Andrea De Maria, a Pd deputy, La Russa’s words are “unacceptable. The Italian right once again demonstrates, through a figure with such high institutional responsibility, its unwillingness to reckon with history.” Furthermore, Filiberto Zaratti, the group leader of Avs in the Chamber’s Constitutional Affairs Committee, adds: “Institutional figures like Senate President La Russa should avoid low provocations and respect the letter and spirit of our anti-fascist Constitution, born from the sacrifices of partisans and the blood shed by that regime which La Russa and his supporters now glorify.”
The Casapound Headquarters
From the ‘old’ controversy surrounding the party’s symbol to the pressing and more current issue of the Casapound headquarters, which was recently added to the list of properties to be evicted, according to statements made by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. “It seems that the fascist right wants to provide cover for the descendants of Casapound, who are falsely threatened with eviction by Minister Piantedosi,” concludes Vaccari, who sees in the Senate President’s video further confirmation of a “double standard” in the complex management of occupations.
