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Mussolini’s great-grandson is standing for the EU elections in Italy

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's great-grandson plans to run in next month's European parliamentary elections on behalf of an Italian far-right party, local media reports.

Published: 9 April 2019 12:16 CEST
Mussolini's great-grandson is standing for the EU elections in Italy
The ideology of dictator Benito Mussolini is still surprisingly popular - and tolerated - in Italy. Photo: Vituzzu/Wikicommons.

Caio Giulio Cesare Mussolini, a 50-year-old former submariner, aims to run as a candidate for the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, Il Messaggero said.

“So many people want to put Mussolini on the ballot,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Italy could now end up with two Mussolinis in the European Parliament.

Caio Giulio Cesare is the first cousin once removed of Alessandra Mussolini, the dead fascist leader's granddaughter who has been an MEP since 2014.



Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of Benito. Photo: AFP

Born in Argentina, Mussolini has no previous political experience but “obviously I've breathed politics my whole life,” he told the daily.

He described himself to Il Fatto Quotidiano as “a post-fascist who refers to those values in a non-ideological way”.

He said he thought he was chosen as a candidate not for his family name but for his first names, the Italian form of “Gaius Julius Caesar”, as well as his sense of duty and international experience.

READ ALSO: Far-right parties kick off campaigns for Europe election

If elected, he said he would “defend the national interest with all my actions and votes”, in line with the nationalist stance of Fratelli d'Italia.

The party won 4.4 percent of votes in last year's Italian national election, in which is ran as part of a right-wing bloc alongside Matteo Salvini's League party and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia.

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POLITICS

Italian minister indicted for Covid-era fraud

Prosecutors on Friday charged Italy's tourism minister with fraud relating to government redundancy funds claimed by her publishing companies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:19 CEST
Italian minister indicted for Covid-era fraud

Opposition lawmakers immediately requested the resignation of Daniela Santanche, a leading member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party.

Santanche, 63, has strongly rejected the allegations, including in a defiant appearance in parliament last year.

“The Milan prosecutor’s office today requested the indictment of the Minister Santanche and other persons as well as the companies Visibilia Editore and Visibilia Concessionaria,” the office said in a brief statement.

They were indicted “for alleged fraud of the INPS (National Institute for Social Security) in relation to alleged irregularities in the use of the Covid 19 redundancy fund, for a total of 13 employees”.

According to media reports, Visibilia is accused of obtaining state funds intended to help companies struggling with the pandemic to temporarily lay off staff — when in fact the 13 employees continued to work.

Santanche sold her stake in Visibilia when she joined the government of Meloni, who took office in October 2022.

The investigation has been going on for months, but with the decision by prosecutors to indict, opposition parties said Santanche should resign.

“We expect the prime minister to have a minimum of respect for the institutions and ask for Daniela Santanche’s resignation,” said Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party.

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