Scandal at meeting

“Sieg Heil” shouts: Meloni defends party youth

Giorgia Meloni

(Bild: AFP)

After an undercover reporter infiltrated the youth movement of the post-fascist ruling party Fratelli d'Italia, it reported shouts of "Sieg Heil" and "Duce" at party meetings. Prime Minister Georgi Meloni has now spoken out about the case. She defended the youth movement and described the undercover reportage as "infiltration". 

The National Youth (Gioventù Nazionale) has been caught in the crossfire of criticism following an undercover investigation by the news portal Fanpage. Secretly filmed footage shows members shouting "Sieg Heil" and "Duce" at party meetings and extending their arms in a fascist salute.

This article shows excerpts from the report: 

Meloni: Racism "incompatible" with party
A journalist had infiltrated the youth movement. The first part of the report, which was published a week ago, had already caused a stir. Meloni criticized the means of undercover reporting as "infiltration". Racism and anti-Semitism have no acceptance in her party, she asserted. "Those who have racist, anti-Semitic or nostalgic feelings are out of place with us, because these feelings are incompatible with the Fratelli d'Italia", the Prime Minister declared.

Prime Minister declared Mussolini a "good politician" in her youth
In her youth, Meloni was a member of the youth movement of the MSI party founded by supporters of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. As a 19-year-old, she even became head of the "Azione Studentesca", whose emblem is the Celtic cross used by right-wing extremists throughout Europe. At the time, she said that Mussolini was a "good politician". She later tried to distance herself from her party's fascist past.

 Jewish community: "Shameful images" 
Meloni called on Rome's Jewish community to punish those members of their youth organization who have made anti-Semitic and pro-fascist statements. "The Jewish community in Rome condemns the shameful images of racism and anti-Semitism that have emerged from the Fanpage report," wrote its president, Victor Fadlun, on X. He called for the government to take decisive action "against hatred and discrimination".