President’s praise for ‘good’ Mussolini leads to European outcry

European Parliament president Antonio Tajani has apologised for remarks interpreted as praise for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and insisted he is “a committed anti-fascist”.

Mr Tajani, who is a member of Silvio Berlusconi’s centreright Forza Italia party, came under fire after telling Radio 24 on Wednesday evening that before Mussolini “declared war on the entire world, following Hitler, until he promoted the racial laws”, the dictator did some “positive things” such as improving infrastructure.

After an outcry in Italy and abroad, including calls for his resignation, Mr Tajani shot back on Twitter, saying it was disgraceful that his comments had been “manipulated”.

Mr Tajani later apologised for his remarks in a statement issued by his office in Strasbourg.

He said his comments were not intended to “play down an anti-democratic and totalitarian regime”.

“I have always been wholeheartedly anti-fascist,” he said.

“I have always stressed that Mussolini and fascism were the darkest chapter in the history of the past century.”

Mr Tajani was the target of criticism for his initial comments on Mussolini from a wide range of sectors, including European Commission vice-president Franz Timmermans and Human Rights Watch.

Some MEPS in the Strasbourg parliament brandished posters featuring Mr Tajani’s face, with the caption “never again fascism”. Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake, from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats group, tweeted there had been “major uproar, demands for explanation and also calls for the resignation of the president of European Parliament”.

Italy has struggled to come to terms with its fascist past.

Neo-fascist parties have played a role in post-war Italy, while supporting fascism was made a crime.

Mussolini was Italy’s dictator for two decades until his summary execution in 1945.

He allied fascist Italy with Nazi Germany in World War Two and enacted racial laws that discriminated against Jews, paving the way for their deportation to Nazi death camps.

Political scientist Giovanni Orsina, from Rome’s LUISS University, suggested Mr Tajani’s “incautious” remarks may havebeencalculatedtoattract votes in the coming European Parliament elections from the right-wing League.

Its leader Matteo Salvini has in his role as interior minister taken a tough law-and-order stance regarding migrants and also the right to selfdefence.

Mr Orsina said the Italian centre-right, in particular, had been characterised by “the refusal to demonise fascism”.