Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group,
told the European Parliament on Wednesday that Silvio
Berlusconi's Forza Italia has become a "crutch of post-Fascism".
Garcia Perez pointed to the election of right-wingers Ignazio La
Russa and Lorenzo Fontana as the new Speakers of the Italian
Senate and Lower House.
La Russa and Fontana are members of the Brothers of Italy (FdI)
and League parties respectively, FI's coalition allies.
"Forza Italia says it is the guarantee of a pro-Europe
government (in Italy) but it has gone from being a cornerstone
of centrism to being a crutch of post-Facism," Garcia Perez said
in a debate in the plenary session of the European Parliament in
Strasbourg.
"The Senate presidency went to Ignazio Benito La Russa, who has
nostalgia of Fascism, and the Lower House went to Fontana, who
is Eurosceptic and homophobic.
"Are we sure that Forza Italia can be the guarantee of
anything?".
League MEP Marco Zanni hit back by saying: "the Italian people
are capable of choosing a government on their own - deal with
it".
The debate also touched on the comments Berlusconi made on
Tuesday about having re-established relations with Russian
President Vladimir Putin via the exchange of gifts and "sweet"
letters.
Manfred Weber, the head of the European People's Party (EPP)
that FI belongs to, blasted Moscow after its latest attacks on
Ukraine and reiterated his support for Kyiv.
"Given all the victims, we will never tire of saying that Putin
is a war criminal," Weber said.
"Putin must lose and Europe will never stop supporting Ukraine.
Never.
"This message unites us".
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