The President of Italy invokes anti-fascism in the face of Meloni's lukewarmness

It was the first time that he celebrated April 25, the commemoration of the Liberation of Italy from Nazi-fascism.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy, a party born out of the embers of post-fascism, had never had to do this before.

No one in his lineup would have done it.

But on Tuesday, as prime minister, she was forced to go to the Altar of the Fatherland, a Roman monument that commemorates the unity of Italy.

She was there ten minutes.

And she published that same day, after weeks of controversy, a letter in

to ensure that he does not feel any “nostalgia for fascism”.

The article, however, was essentially a kind of historical revisionism, changing the word “liberation” to “freedom”, “partisans” to “patriots”, and avoiding the term anti-fascist.

His shyness in taking a position was further underlined when the head of state, Sergio Mattarella, gave his clearest and most radical speech against fascism in Cuneo.

"Now and always, Resistencia", he ended up reading.

It could be said that there are four fundamental words that explain April 25, 1945 and the fight that was waged against Nazi-fascism in Italy.

They can also be invoked in any memory that is made of that time: liberation, partisan, anti-fascism and Resistance.

Meloni succeeded in his letter to the

not write three of them and refer only to the Resistance, whose founding engine of the Italian Republic is beyond any doubt.

He also chose to quote Paola del Din, a partisan involved in some controversies who prefers to be called simply "patriot".

The association of Italian partisans (ANPI), those who fought against the Nazi occupation and fascism, asked this Monday that the Government publicly declare its "anti-fascism".

But the declaration was very far from being produced in those terms.

Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic and the man who has supported the country on his shoulders in the most turbulent moments of recent years, on the other hand, did.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, together with the President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, attends the homage to the unknown soldier at the Altar of the Fatherland in Rome.

Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

The head of state went to Cuneo, an area where the resistance was concentrated in the Piedmont region and the third area in Italy with the most deportees to the Nazi concentration camps.

From there he launched a long speech and filled with references to the period and the value of the struggle that allowed the founding of the democratic Republic.

“The Resistance was above all a moral revolt of patriots against fascism for the national rescue.

The sense of a town that enlisted the old generation of anti-fascists”.

Mattarella also recalled that the partisan Republics, the free zones, anticipated the Constitution with his determination.

A Magna Carta based on anti-fascism, although the founders of the Brothers of Italy, like the president of the Senate, Ignazio Benito La Russa, now deny it.

Mattarella's speech, precisely, has been seen in many political sectors as a forceful response to weeks of controversy surrounding this date and how it should be celebrated.

La Russa, in fact, despite being the second state official, was in Prague on Tuesday and celebrated the anti-Soviet Resistance instead of the anti-fascist one.

A visit considered a provocation by the opposition and which occurred while in Italy some 100,000 people were parading by ANPI, the partisan association.

"Mattarella has restored the truth," stressed the mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, from the march.

He was also accompanied by the new secretary of the Italian Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, who has been very harsh with the government these days.

“Whoever participates in these demonstrations does so to remember the sacrifice of those who wanted to free us and the values ​​of the anti-fascist Resistance that continue to guide our daily commitment.

Because that is part of our Constitution.

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