>>>ANSA/Scurati case sparks tension before Liberation Day

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 22 - The case of Italian writer Antonio Scurati, who was stopped from delivering a monologue at the weekend on State broadcaster Rai for Liberation Day, has sparked political tension before Thursday's national holiday celebrating Italy's liberation from Fascism and the Nazi occupation in World War II.
    In the text of the monologue, Scurati described the "ruling party" of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI), as "post-Fascist" and said it was trying to re-write history rather than "repudiate its neo-fascist past".
    Meloni criticized Scurati in a Facebook post, saying she would never ask for censorship as she had been "ostracized and censored" by the public service broadcaster in the past, and referring to Rai saying that it had simply refused to pay 1,800 euros for a one-minute monologue.
    She also published the text of the monologue "so Italian people can freely judge its content".
    On Sunday Scurati said he had been subjected to a form of "violence" by the premier and felt afraid.
    "When the boss points the finger at the enemy and the newspapers put you on the front pages, they put a target on your face," he said.
    "Then there might be someone who takes aim at that target".
    Opposition parties criticised the decision to stop Scurati giving the monologue, saying it was part of an effort to limit opposition voices and turn the State broadcaster into a "megaphone" for the government.
    Rai Director General Giampaolo Rossi on Monday said the narrative that Rai censures people is "groundless", saying reports about what had happened were "surreal".
    He also announced in internal probe to see whether mistakes had been made after a press release had announced that Scurati was going to take part in one of its programmes.
    During the monologue Scurati mentions Giacomo Matteotti, a Socialist MP murdered by Fascist thugs in 1924.
    On Monday Matteotti's granddaughter said she wanted to hear a clear message from the government on anti-fascism for this year's Liberation Day celebrations.
    "This 25 April is different for me because it is the centenary year of the murder of my grandfather Giacomo Matteotti," said Elena Matteotti.
    "I want to make an appeal: I ask the government to give a clear message against any resurgence of oppression and in favour of tolerance and freedom of expression.
    "But this message must not only come from Prime Minister Meloni, it must be accepted by all parties.
    "The fascism that killed my grandfather is now gone but we must always be vigilant".
    Italian Partisans Association ANPI, meanwhile, slammed Deputy Premier, Transport Minister and rightwing League party leader Matteo Salvini for choosing to present his new book on Liberation Day, saying "a significant part of this government does not recognise April 25".
    ANPI Milan Chair Primo Minelli said Salvini's decision to present the book in Milan on Thursday "means not recognising this holiday, nothing else".
    Minelli also said Meloni appeared to have trouble describing herself as an antifascist while her brother in law, Farm Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, had stressed "the violence of antifascism".
    Talking about Meloni's apparent reluctance to define herself as anti-fascist, as she has repeatedly been urged by the opposition, Minelli also noted that her FdI party has also refused to remove the neo-fascist flame symbol from its logo, representing the flame that burns on Mussolini's tomb.
    "I can't torture her (to get her to say she's an antifascist).
    "And someone should explain to Italians the meaning of that flame that is there inside the symbol of a party, out of intellectual honesty, which recalls the one on Mussolini's tomb". (ANSA).