“I was in the square because I’m rooting for freedom, but no legitimacy licenses from the left” – Corriere.it

«I’ve never had a problem rooting for freedom, also because since university I’ve had to defend my freedom of expression tooth and nail from the arrogance of the left. But I won’t compromise on one thing: we don’t give licenses of institutional legitimacy to anyone, so I don’t allow others to give them to us”. The operational arm of the Brothers of Italy Giovanni Donzelli, 47 years old, had not participated in the celebrations of April 25 for 17 years: the last time he was as city councilor in Florence, wearing the coat of An.

Today, however, after a long season of opposition, Giorgia Meloni’s loyalist, like all his party mates, found himself facing the first Liberation with government responsibilities. The transition from «protest» to «proposal» suggested a different political approach, to try to quell the punctual controversies and settle accounts with the past:
«Let April 25 be the feast of freedom. Fascism? We are incompatible with any nostalgia», is the essence of the message contained in the letter signed by the premier and published in the Courier.
Donzelli had decided days ago to participate in the celebrations in Florence, but had kept the information confidential to avoid possible exploitation.

Why this long blackout? “They are my considerations, I don’t have to prove anything to anyone – explains Donzelli -: my activity in the Municipality, the Region and then in Parliament has always been in defense of rights and freedom of expression, against single thought”. And then: «I have always claimed that if I had lived during fascism, most likely, I would have been against fascism. And instead history shows that many of those who have been the guardians of anti-fascism since 26 April were “very fascist” until 24 April». Donzelli, rigorously always on the right, however, grew up in a left-wing family:
«In the imagination of the house, the right were “the wrong ones” – he said in an interview with 7 -. When I told my mother as a kid that I had signed up for Fuan she started crying.’
And today? “We, on the right, have been living the past and the present with serenity for some time after the Fiuggi turning point”.

However, Donzelli’s presence at the Florence procession did not go unnoticed by those who were used to punctual heart-pounding political clashes with him, especially on identity issues such as April 25th. A square that certainly did not welcome «Donze» with open arms, so much so that a lady approached him, colorfully suggesting: «Go home!». “Does this seem right to you, democratic? Mayor Dario Nardella thanked me for being there: it was respectful and institutional», adds Donzelli. While a question and answer ensued with the woman, in tight Florentine: “Madam, thank you: 5 minutes and I’ll go home, when it’s all over…”. While someone else attacked Donzelli for not having sung Bella ciao. The appointment is on April 25, 2024.