A leading official in the youth wing
of Premier Giorgia Meloni's rightwing Brothers of Italy (FDI)
party, National Youth (GN), on Thursday resigned after beign
caught in an undercover probe by Fanpage making alleged
antisemitic remarks about an FdI Senator and former spokeswoman
for the Rome Jewish community, Ester Mieli.
The official, Flaminia Pace, who has been described as GN
leader, was caught on a hidden camera phone saying "the best
thing was yesterday taking the piss about the swastikas, me who
had issued the press statement of solidarity for Ester Mieli".
Pace's resignation was announced by FdI House Whip Tommaso Foto
who said "in FdI, those who err, pay".
The Fanpage probe was the second part of an investigation into
National Youth, and again found members allegedly making
Fascist, antisemitic and neo-Nazi comments.
In the first part members were recorded hailing Mussolini and
far right terrorists and chanting Sieg Heil.
Senior party officials were recorded attending the you rallies
and allegedly gripping forearms in a gladiatorial Fascist
greeting.
The co-head of FdI' EU group, the European Conservatives and
Reformists (ECR), Nicola Procaccini, has said he will sue the
Socialists and Democrats (S&D) caucus leader Iratxe García Pérez
of Spain for saying he was caught making a Fascist salute.
Opposition parties have urged Meloni to condemn the members of
National Youth filmed by Fanpage.
FdI bigwig and co-founder and Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa
said the GN members had made "unacceptable" remarks.
La Russam who recently stressed he had given his bust of
Mussolini to his sister, said: "My most sincere and affectionate
solidarity to Senator and friend Ester Mieli, victim of
unacceptable phrases by some National Youth militants.
"Phrases that go against the values of our party, firmly rooted
in the principles of democracy, freedom and respect for human
dignity.
"I express my total and firm condemnation of all forms of racism
and anti-Semitism that have always been at the antipodes of the
values that have inspired my political commitment".
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