The center-right majority in the regional council squares around the councilor for security Romano La Russa, brother of Ignatius. The hall of Palazzo Pirelli rejects (with 46 votes against) the motion of the Democratic Party, also signed by the other members of the opposition, which asked for the revocation of his appointment after the images contained in a video that portrayed him with his arm raised at the funeral by Alberto Stabilini, historical right-wing exponent and his brother-in-law.
In fact, the text of the motion stated that participation in the “Fascist Appeal” had “caused discredit for the Lombardy Region” and asked the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana to “revoke the appointment as regional councilor”, also engaging the members of the junta “not to participate in demonstrations and acts that symbolize ideals and principles in contrast with the values of the Constitution of the Republic and of democratic institutions”. The Lombard governor after the vote underlines that “democracy requires respect for the will of the classroom”, and therefore the commissioner remains in his place.
During his speech in the classroom, Romano La Russa recalls the very close relationship that bound him to Stabilini, his wife’s twin brother: “I apologized to anyone who felt offended, I am going to do it again with greater conviction, at the same time recalling the inappropriateness of the gesture that damaged my party ». The call to the “present”, he reiterates, had been asked “in the last hours by the deceased but there was no desire to turn it into a political gesture” and adds “As can also be seen from the video, my gesture was not very convinced, precisely because I was aware of the risks I was going to run ». There was therefore, according to the commissioner, “no will that could sound contrary to the Constitution, which I have always served as an adviser and councilor” but that “however, perhaps in some passage after 70 years it could be revised and corrected”. Stabilini himself “He would not have wanted that gesture to be considered apologetic for a political system born 100 years ago and gone, closed and concluded almost 80 years ago, a historical period that must be returned to history.”
Position of condemnation of the gesture by the regional councilor of the Brothers of Italy, Barbara Mazzali, who underlines that it does not represent “in any way the expression of a political position ascribable to the Brothers of Italy: Giorgia Meloni in unsuspecting times defined the Roman greeting is an anti-historical expression, rejecting any ambiguity that can be instrumentally traced back to the political community of our party ». According to Mazzali, the gesture addressed to the deceased however «has nothing to do with a reference or an apology to fascism. It was a celebratory moment with no political significance ». Announcing the vote against the motion by Forza Italia, the regional group leader Gianluca Comazzi, after having defined the text as “superficial, rhetorical and badly set up”, declares: “In this country there is no problem of fascism and who says so has profound psychiatric problems. I am convinced that none of those present at the funeral thought about the reconstitution of the fascist party ». The exponent of the Lega Massimiliano Bastoni, then says he is “very worried about the fascist attitudes of incitement to hatred and intolerance that I have heard from some councilors”.
The leader of the Pd Fabio Pizzul comments on the compact and contrary vote of the majority as: «An official defense of the indefensible. In La Russa’s apologies, it is clear that he does not realize that evoking gestures that refer to fascism is totally inappropriate ”. “La Russa cannot represent the citizens of Lombardy: we are putting a seed on the ground that can lead to poisoned lands, so today we have to eradicate the bad roots immediately. Here there is no room for any nostalgia »explains the councilor Nicola Di Marco of the M5s, while some colleagues of the Movement show signs with the words“ No nostalgia in the Lombardy Region ”. The only abstention in the classroom was that of the former councilor of the M5s Monica Forte: «I do not understand this continuous rise in the level of the clash, in the absence of a concrete danger of the return of fascism, at a time when the country needs balance. I consider this motion instrumental ».