All 20 members of the Senate foreign
affairs committee quit Wednesday in a bid to force out the
chair, 5-Star Movement (M5S) Senator Vito Petrocelli, who is
sticking to his post despite a political storm over his
positions regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Petrocelli said ahead of the mass resignation "I am not stepping
down because I feel that I represent the
Constitution, the will of Italians who don't have any more
parties representing them in Parliament".
"I will honor the pledges for peace and international
dialogue that I took with voters in 2018", said Petrocelli, who
has opposed the government's package of aid, including military
aid, for Ukraine after Russia invaded the country.
Petrocelli accused Premier Mario Draghi's government, which the
M5S supports, of becoming "interventionist" in the Ukraine war,
saying in March that he would henceforth vote against the
cabinet in all confidence votes.
Last month, M5S leader Giuseppe Conte announced Petrocelli's
expulsion from the movement after the senator posted a
controversial tweet on the eve of April 25 wishing Italians
"happy Liberation Day" using the capital 'Z' in "liberazione",
which has become a symbol of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
