National mourning for Berlusconi, the former prime minister still divides Italy

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On the one hand, fears about the “sanctification” of one of the most controversial leaders in national history and the “surprise” of the experts at an unprecedented choice. On the other hand, the fierce defense of the exponents of the majority, with some assists from the Third Pole.

Italian politics split over the government’s decision to call national mourning on the occasion of the funeral of Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister and founder of Forza Italia who died on 12 June at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. It is the first time that the day of mourning has been dedicated to a former premier, instituting a procedure which imposes the flag at half-mast on the facades of public buildings until the funeral on 14 June in Milan, two strips of black veil for the internal flags and the obligation for government officials to cancel all public commitments. The shops will be able to decide or not to keep the shutter down.

Montanari (Unistrasi): we will not display flags at half-mast

The first to slip off was Tomaso Montanari, rector of the University for Foreigners of Siena. Montanari announced and reiterated that his university will not display flags at half-mast, siding against the “hypocritical sanctification” of the former prime minister. “I personally assume – Montanari declared – the responsibility of ordering that the flags of Unistrasi do not go down. Everyone obeys their conscience and a university that bows to a story like that is not a university».

Montanari underlined that «in the face of this news (Berlusconi’s death, ed) one cannot feel any joy, rather the sadness one feels in the face of every death. But judgment is necessary: ​​because it is true that Berlusconi has marked history, but he did so, leaving the world and Italy much worse than he had found them ». The rector received the support of a petition on the Change.org portal, with 10,000 support signatures already collected within hours of its launch.

Bindi: mourning? Avoid sanctifications

Montanari’s position is not isolated. “I share it. National mourning is out of place, it happens because this majority is in government. This too happens thanks to him, to what Silvio Berlusconi did” declared the former MP of the Democratic Party Rosie Bindiformer Pd parliamentarian, speaking in Tagadà on La7.