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Italy revokes honours for ‘unworthy’ Russian PM

Italy stripped Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and three other high-ranking Russians of one of its highest honours on Thursday, saying they no longer deserved it.

Published: 27 May 2022 09:04 CEST
Italy revokes honours for 'unworthy' Russian PM
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow on May 9th, 2022. Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Mishustin and Trade Minister Denis Manturov had been given the title ‘Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Italy’ in 2020, but President Sergio Mattarella signed a decree revoking the honour, deeming them “unworthy”.

He also stripped the same title from Deputy Industry Minister Viktor Evtukhov and Andrei Kostin, head of Russian state bank VTB.

“The Russian Federation must be placed under strong pressure, which is what we’re doing with the European Union, because a prolonged war in Europe could have incredibly serious consequences,” Mattarella warned on Thursday after a meeting with his Algerian counterpart in Rome.

EXPLAINED: Why and how Italy will pay for Russian gas in rubles

The Order of the Star of Italy was created in 2011 to replace the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, which was awarded to people who helped rebuild the country after World War II.

It is awarded by the president to Italians or foreigners who have worked to “promote friendship and collaboration between Italy and other countries”.

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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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