After the morning browsing the newspapers as usual Galeazzo Bignamihead of the Italian Brothers group in the Chamber, rolled his eyes when confronted with an article in the newspaper TruthThe title “Quirinale’s plan to stop Meloni“. The text states that some advisers to the head of state “desire initiatives against President Giorgia Meloni and the center-right wing, also expressing an assessment of incompetence towards the majority of the current government”. Considering the seriousness of the allegations, Bignami asked the Presidency of the Republic to provide clarification in this regard.
“In particular – added the leader of the FdI group – Truth report in detail the conversation that the person wants formation of alternative coalitionsand like aa large list of national citizenshipsand’, with the aim of preventing the victory of the center-right and Giorgia Meloni in the next political elections. Projects that will reach even further stages – Bignami underlines – expect a ‘clash of fate’ against the current government. We believe that this reconstruction – concludes Bignami – will be rejected without delay out of respect for the important role it plays, otherwise its validity will have to be concluded”.
Quirinale’s amazement
A response from the Presidency of the Republic arrived promptly via reply post. “In the Quirinale – we read in a note – there was astonishment at the declaration of the leader of the group in the House of the party of the relative majority which seemed to give credence to another attack on the Presidency of the Republic that was building close to the ridiculous”.
Belpietro’s answer
“I confirm verbatim what was published today by Verità”, said Maurizio Belpietro, director Truth. “The only ludicrous thing in this matter is the clumsy attempt to silence disturbing statements made by an adviser to the Republican President.”
Opposition controversy
The opposition was directly involved in this case. “The words of the leader of the Bignami group are unacceptable and Belpietro’s response to Quirinale is intolerable”, wrote in the note Chiara Braga and Francesco Boccia, leaders of the PD group in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and Nicola Zingaretti, head of the PD delegation in the European Parliament. “A hoax repeated many times does not make news and hiding behind freedom of the press is a tactic that does not save the director from creating a ridiculous and imaginative reconstruction. We ask Prime Minister Meloni, considering that he is directly involved and considering that the highest and dearest institution of this country is under attack, to distance himself from false statements that risk giving rise to an unprecedented conflict between heads of State.”
“From Galeazzo Bignami, deputy president of the Fratelli d’Italia, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, an unprecedented and unprecedented attack on the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella was launched against the crazy background of the right-wing press in general”, said +Europa secretary Riccardo Magi. “Given that Quirinale has returned Bignami to his place, it is clear that if Meloni does not distance himself, the trigger for this attack will be Palazzo Chigi”.
“Support for President Mattarella, has become the target of unjustified attacks and insinuations”, said vice president Italia Viva, senator Enrico Borghi and deputy Davide Faraone. “Dragging the Presidency of the Republic into the political arena, as the leader of the Italian Brotherhood group Bignami did by giving credence to journalistic reconstructions and fake news, is irresponsible and shameful. The conspiracy theories and victimism typical of this administration and Prime Minister Meloni cannot reach the Quirinale. Stop it.”
Bignami insists: “I ask for rejection from the board members”
“We read an article that reported detailed facts, phrases and quotes attributed to a person and in that statement I asked the person to deny it,” Bignami said in a conversation with journalists at the DPR. To those who pointed out the clarification made by Quirinale, Bignami replied: “We did not even allow ourselves to ask for a refusal, no one asked for Colle’s intervention, but the question remains with the members of the board”. “We – he said – asked for a denial from the Quirinale, it costs nothing for someone like councilor Garofani to say ‘I deny’, it’s just one word”. To those who asked him what exactly Mattarella’s advisors had to deny, Bignami replied: “There is someone who made a statement according to what one of your colleagues said, we ask: whether it is true or not that you made this statement, I do not allow myself to implicate Colle”. When asked if he had ever heard Meloni, Bignami simply replied: “I use my head.” And what happens if rejection doesn’t happen? the journalists asked. “It’s not that if there is no objection we will do Aventine, if there is no objection we will pay attention to Garofani’s opinion,” said Bignami.
Fazzolari’s intervention
“Neither Fdi nor Palazzo Chigi have ever doubted the institutional loyalty of President Mattarella who has always interacted with the government in a spirit of total collaboration, not least in important international documents, from Ukraine to the Middle East. In fact Bignami did not refer to Quirinale at all nor did he address the President of the Republic in an impolite manner but only indicated that the refusal of councilor Garofani would be in accordance with the statements attributed to him by the newspaper La Truth. A refusal that would settle any kind of controversy in the bud.” That was the deputy presidential minister, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, who was interviewed by Ansa.
Yang later added: “I still think the Democratic Party’s reckless attacks on director Belpietro are serious: one
Published news can be denied or confirmed, but trying to silence people who are not journalists is not acceptable
WELCOME.”
