Meloni like Mussolini: the prime minister claims responsibility for the Almasri case, as the Duce did for the Matteotti murder.

A few hours after the Ministers' Tribunal's decision to demand that Nordio, Piantedosi , and Mantovano be sent to trial for the escape of Libyan "executioner" Osama Almasri, Giorgia Meloni released a statement that appears to be copied from Benito Mussolini 's famous speech of January 3, 1925. It was the speech that marked the true birth of the dictatorship. Mussolini was in distress following the assassination of Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti by a fascist gang. He decided to risk everything by challenging the judiciary and the opposition. He appeared in Parliament and uttered statements that could have brought him down, but on which, instead, he built his power, which lasted more than 18 years: "If fascism is a criminal conspiracy ," he said, " I am responsible for this." A week earlier, the Duce had summoned the editors of his friendly newspapers and told them: " Trying to separate the Leader from his followers is a futile and foolish endeavor."

The Prime Minister used the same format: defense of her followers and defiance of the state. Is it possible that the similarity between the two speeches is a coincidence? It's unlikely. With Giorgia Meloni 's political background, she is certainly familiar with the Duce's speech. Even the reaction times are similar. The Libyan criminal was released on January 21st, just over six months later. Giacomo Matteotti was killed on June 10, 1924 ; Mussolini's speech came just under seven months later. The structure of the two speeches, and even some of their expressions, are absolutely identical. Even the political objective. Giorgia Meloni , after months of silence on her part, procrastination, and contradictions in ministerial speeches and in the remarks she sent—in defense—to the tribunal in The Hague, is now coming out into the open. She no longer speaks of an accident, nor does she attribute blame to the Court of Appeal, as the government has done until now, but she claims the political choice of having decided on Almasri's escape. With the idea that seeking alternative routes is too risky and it is better to assert the choice made for the national interest.

Now we need to understand two things: the first is this: is there a national interest that prevails over an international arrest warrant? And is it possible to defy a court formally recognized by the Italian government for reasons of political expediency? The second thing to understand is this: what is the national interest being invoked? Perhaps the need for Almasri not to speak before a foreign court and not to discuss his relationships with various Italian governments? And what were these relationships? Were there specific agreements between the Italian government and the leaders of the concentration camps where refugees were (and still are) tortured and killed?

PS It's shocking that, faced with all this, Nordio , Piantedosi , and Mantovano are not resigning. Because of Kappler 's escape (which certainly wasn't the fault of a minister), Defense Minister Lattanzio, a Christian Democrat, resigned. Oh, those Christian Democrats were truly good people.

FROM

Piero Sansonetti