Italy’s wartime dictator Benito Mussolini’s granddaughter has decided to leave the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni because it is too right wing.
Rachele Mussolini Moving To Forza Italia
A city councillor in Rome, Rachele Mussolini said she was moving to the group of the more centrist Forza Italia at City Hall.
She had won the most votes of any candidate at the last council elections in the city in 2021.
Time To Turn The Page, Says Rachele Mussolini
“It is time to turn the page and join a party that I feel is closer to my moderate and centrist sensibilities,” the 50-year-old Mussolini told ANSA news agency, confirming earlier newspaper reports.
Brothers of Italy traces its roots to the Italian Social Movement (MSI), an heir to Benito Mussolini’s fascists set up after World War Two.
How Meloni Presents Her Party?
Since taking office in 2022, Giorgia Meloni has tried to present the party as a mainstream conservative group.
Critics say the attempt is mainly window dressing, pointing to the party’s tough stances on immigration, abortion and same-sex parenting, and its moves to tighten penalties for surrogate motherhood.
Forza Italia – part of Meloni’s ruling coalition – also presents itself as a party defending traditional Christian values, but is seen as more liberal on civil rights.
A political source told Reuters that rights issues played a key role in Mussolini’s decision to switch parties.
Differences With Meloni
Last month she took issue with Meloni in a dispute over the gender of Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who fought against Italian Angela Carini at the Olympic games.
After Carini gave up during her bout against Khelif – who later won the gold medal – Meloni said it had not been a match between equals.
Meloni argued that the Algerian had failed a gender eligibility test at the World Championships last year.
“Until proven otherwise Imane Khelif is a woman. And she has suffered an unworthy witch hunt,” Mussolini said.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
