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 being 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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