April 25: clash on the motions, the opposition does not vote for the majority. “The word anti-fascism is missing”

The opposition motion on April 25 is voted by the complete majority, but the centre-left groups do not reciprocate the outstretched hand. This is the outcome of the votes in the Senate on April 25 and on other civil holidays. The word anti-fascism is missing.
The parliamentarians of Pd, M5s, Az-Iv support it several times in the courtroom and argue on the point that anti-fascism is the foundation of our Constitution. Senator of the Democratic Party Alfredo Bazoli thus pronounces himself on the motion of the majority: “Today Minister Valditara wrote shared words on the meaning of fascism and the value of anti-fascism, and Gianfranco Fini recalled how AN recalled anti-fascism as a value on many occasions foundation of our democracy. It is a pity then that this so important little word, anti-fascism, from which the structure of our Constitution derives, has not even grazed the motion of the majority on April 25. An unacceptable omission, a great missed opportunity to dispel the ambiguities and reticence of the Italian right”.

Observation that the majority returns to the sender. The Senate Chamber heats up when the group leader of the Democratic Party Francesco Boccia and the group leader FdI Lucio Malan take the floor. The FdI senators are startled by Boccia’s words “we expected unconditional support”, the Melonians ask loudly “why can’t we present our own motion?”. Even from the benches of the Democratic Party there is a bit of turmoil. President La Russa is forced to intervene several times and to call for “a tone acceptable to all”.

The group leader of Fratelli d’Italia, Lucio Malan, points out that “anti-fascism” is not written anywhere in our Charter. “Say you don’t vote on our motion because the word anti-fascism doesn’t appear: but it does say that we condemn all totalitarianisms, we are against fascism, so it exists, it’s the same thing”. “According to this principle – he adds – the constituent parliamentarians should not have voted for the Constitution because the word ‘anti-fascist’ does not appear in that text. We are amazed that you did not vote for it”.

Furthermore, the governing parties are asking their adversaries to renounce totalitarianism, including and above all communism. But even on this point the roads do not cross. The Democratic Party replies: “The Italian Communists have had duplicities and contradictions in our history, but they fought for freedom”.

Voting results
Thus the Senate Hall unanimously approves the motion of the opposition on April 25 with 133 votes in favor and one abstention. Thunderous applause from the Chamber, so much so that President La Russa intervenes: “even applause can sometimes seem like a provocation”. The majority motion was instead approved with 78 votes in favour, 29 against and 26 abstentions. The vote is accepted by the majority senators with the cry of “shame” towards the opposition benches. No opposition and only one abstention. To ride this choice alone is the senator of the Brothers of Italy Paolo Marcheschi. The latter, according to the printouts, also abstains on the majority motion together with the parliamentarians of Azione-Italia viva, the Movimento 5 stelle and Pietro Patton of the Autonomies. The majority document obtained 78 votes in favour, 29 against and 26 abstentions. FdI, FI, Lega and CI and Dafne Musolino of the Autonomies voted yes; instead they vote against the Pd and the Mixed group.