Italy’s highest court does not exclusively ban fascist salutes. More than 60 meetings for Amherd and Co. +++ WEF fights against disinformation

The right arm extended during a salute: in Germany the Hitler salute is a punishable offense. However, it is allowed again in Italy. There it is called ‘Saluto Romano’ (Roman salute) and was used as a symbol by Mussolini’s fascists.

On January 7, almost 1,000 neo-fascists marched in Rome, probably in commemoration of three comrades who died in an attack in 1978. The fact that they extended their right arm in greeting again led to heated discussions in Italy.

According to Italian media reports, the Italian Supreme Court has now dealt with the greeting. The judges were presented with a case from 2016, when neofascists showed ‘Saluto Romano’ in Milan. The first instance had acquitted her, but the second instance considered the crime as “glorifying fascism”. The Court of Cassation, the highest authority in Italy, ruled on Thursday.

Accordingly, the greeting is allowed if it is a memorial ceremony. Moreover, according to the judges, there should be “no danger” of a fascist party being founded again. The Italian fascist association CasaPound cheered and spoke of a “historic victory”.

A similar greeting existed in ancient Rome; the Italian fascists and later Adolf Hitler made it a symbol of their movement.

Laws do not specifically prohibit greetings

There are actually two laws intended to put an end to the glorification of fascism in Italy. They prohibit the formation of a fascist party and the dissemination of fascist propaganda. However, the fascist salute is not explicitly mentioned.

Italian politician and former Social Democratic MP Emanuele Fiano does not want to be satisfied with the judge’s ruling. He calls on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to sign a law banning apologies for fascism. This would make the greeting a punishable offense, reports the Italian ‘Corriere della Sera’. His father is a Holocaust survivor. Fiano said he would fight to reintroduce the bill. Meloni, leader of the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party, has not yet commented on the issue.

Italian MP and former minister Carlo Calenda told the news portal Informazione.it: “Many Italians believe that fascism has ultimately done good things. “Therefore, there is a ‘cultural problem’ that needs to be addressed through a culture war that starts in schools.” Pier Luigi Bersani, former Minister of Economic Development, also criticized the decision. “We hope they don’t march to Rome and call this a commemorative event,” he told Legano News, referring to Mussolini’s 1922 coup. Bersani called for the banning of fascist organizations.

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