No place for fascism, Meloni tells his party

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her Brothers of Italy party on Tuesday that it should expel from its ranks anyone who idolizes Italy’s fascist past.

His call comes after an investigation by underground media last week revealed a video of members of his party’s youth wing making fascist salutes and chanting “Sieg Heil”.

In a letter to party leaders, Meloni said she was “angry and saddened” that their actions had damaged the group’s reputation.

“There is no place in the Brothers of Italy for racism or anti-Semitism, nor for those nostalgic for the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century or for any manifestation of senseless folklore,” she wrote. “Our task is too great for those who have not understood its scope to ruin it.”

Brothers of Italy’s origins lie in a neo-fascist group formed after World War II, but Meloni herself has sought to distance herself from the far right in recent years and has declared her party to be conservative.

Opposition parties seized on the investigation by the online newspaper Fanpage, saying the Brothers of Italy was a haven for far-right activists, contradicting Meloni’s efforts to present a moderate image at home and abroad.

Meloni, who last week denounced the newspaper’s infiltration methods, said Tuesday that the Brothers of Italy must be transparent and consistent.

“Anyone who believes that there can be a public image of the Brothers of Italy that does not correspond to their private behavior simply does not understand what we are and is therefore not welcome among us,” she said.

The fan page posted clips of young people chanting “Duce,” a reference to former Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

It also shows a group chat in which someone posted the following message: “Jews are a race and I despise them.”

Two young members resigned last week after the publication of the second part of the investigation.