Former neo-fascist to be Italian foreign minister

[Englander]

John Hooper in Rome
Friday November 19, 2004
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1354817,00.html


Silvio Berlusconi named Gianfranco Fini, the leader of Italy's former neo-fascists, as his new foreign minister yesterday in a move that offered the heirs of Benito Mussolini's Blackshirts the prospect of new international political respectability.

The appointment was the result of complicated manoeuvring within the prime minister's conservative coalition. It was also the reward for years of effort by Mr Fini, 52, to drag his party, the National Alliance, into the mainstream.

While he has softened his position on many issues over the years, Mr Fini remains a hardline conservative and his outlook is likely to win him friends in George Bush's new administration.

This is particularly true with regard to the Middle East. In recent years Mr Fini has not only disowned his movement's anti-semitism, but set himself up as a leading sympathiser of Ariel Sharon's Israel.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Is this a calculated snub to the EU?

When the EU parliament rejected Buttiglione, the replacement Italian EU commisioner was the Italian foreign minister. And he gets replaced with ... a former neo-fascist.

Be careful what you wish for - it may come true.

[aneerkoinos]

2. Naturally

"This is particularly true with regard to the Middle East. In recent years Mr Fini has not only disowned his movement's anti-semitism, but set himself up as a leading sympathiser of Ariel Sharon's Israel."

How surprising. Them fascists like the company of similarly minded, Sharon, Bush, Fini... and same old anti-semitism, only this time it's semite Arabs instead of semite Jews.

And fucking Bliar, worse than Chamberlain...

[David__77]

3. Not "former" fascist.

National Alliance may have stopped their public fascist salutes, but they are still firmly rooted in corporativist, fascist ideology. The Italian people will rise to break the back of these movements. This is repulsive, but merely exposes the ideological link between new conservatism and old fascism.

[struggle4progress]

4. kick for the buddies of Bush's buddy Berlusconi

:kick: