Roman salutes, “Sieg Heil”, fascist songs and chants.
As preposterous as it may sound, these phrases and actions are not directly taken from political leaders of the 20-year-long fascist era but from far-right militants of ‘National Youth’(Gioventù Nazionale, GN), the youth section of prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, ‘Brothers of Italy’.
To open this can of worms came a documentary and investigation released by Fanpage.it; an independent Italian media outlet that infiltrated party gatherings and forums of one of the Roman sections of the party to understand what was really going on behind closed (and open) doors. In the documentary, disturbing details emerge about GN’s activities. These are not only limited to fascist salutes but go as far as racist and anti-Semitic phrases and stances as well as dubious uses of money of the Civilian Service. In other words, a true Mussolinian nostalgia that goes all the way up to the high ranks of the party. The documentary and journalistic investigation provoked a strong reaction from the Italian population and Italy’s political scene, especially among the opposition groups. Italy has thus found itself divided and polarized.
On the one hand, there are those who think that the actions of the National Youth are just shenanigans—pranks played by young people with little awareness. On the other hand, for others, these facts are not disturbing at all as they agree with their statements. However, a lot of people, including political figures, have expressed their strong disappointment, stating that it is unthinkable to accept and ignore such actions and that the party should act to eradicate this serious issue.
Apart from the reactions of society and the political community, it is clear that this is an issue that is not made up of isolated cases. The investigations were made on a local scale but, nevertheless, this still constitutes a problem that is ingrained in the party where Meloni created her political path, from the lowest echelons of local politics and association to the highest strata at a national level.
Why are these happenings so critical and what can we understand from them?
This media bomb of the National Youth-related scandal appears simultaneously with the actions of the government—which has always struggled to declare itself as “anti-fascist” and rejects any reference to this concept—standing in an ambiguous place with regard to this particular matter. This is due to many reasons, partly related to the very origin of the party born from the ashes of MSI (‘Italian Social Movement’): a neo-fascist party created in the post-World War II political panorama.
The difficulty in distancing oneself from the fascist world and references is evident in the very actions and statements made regarding the matter. Other political figures belonging to the party and the government have also accused the media of taking images and phrases from the meetings “out of context” in order to use them for denigrating purposes against the party and the government. After a long silence following the publication of the investigative documentary in June 2024, the Prime Minister decided to speak about it. She condemned the actions of the young militants but also hinted at her disappointment with regards to journalists secretly entering GN’s meetings. Referring to the investigative methodology of Fanpage.it, Meloni declared that “in other times, these are the methods that regimes used”, implying that the newspaper was using tyrannical and unjust methods to condemn the party’s actions.
In light of these statements and the more or less general silence on the part of the party, the events sparked the attention to one of the problems that has been characterizing Italy in recent years: the increasingly evident deterioration of freedom of press and freedom of speech.
Fanpage’s investigation of the National Youth, however, is not the only case. It is in fact the tip of the iceberg that is beginning to prove itself to be insidious for journalists, writers, and intellectuals who disagree with the government’s opinions. The precedents of these events are several. Among others, there’s the exclusion and censorship of writer Scurati’s monologue from an Italian public television (RAI) program on April 25 (Italy’s day of liberation from Nazi-fascism) in 2024. This monologue made precise references to the ties between the government, ‘Brothers of Italy’, and fascism and provoked an important reaction in the country.
In December 2023, the parliament passed the so-called “Gag Law” which, in brief, prevents journalists from publishing pre-trial detention orders and from writing or reporting clear news about judicial proceedings. Professionals from the cultural and reporting scenes are furthermore targeted in ad personam attacks and intimidations in their work environment. There are still lawsuits today for defamation being carried out by members of the government against independent newspapers such as ‘Domani’, and RAI is experiencing political pressure from the government that is threatening plurality and freedom of information, also causing professionals to quit.
Despite the fact that investigations, such as the one into the National Youth, have led to resignations and accusations in the political environment against the Italian government and ‘Brothers of Italy’, concerns regarding their ambiguous opinions remain. This general atmosphere of alarm and criticism especially affects individual and collective freedoms of opinion that seem to be increasingly undermined. How can we secure a democratic future in a country that still has links to problematic, authoritarian past?
By Sofia Bartolini
December 10, 2024
