Shocking phrases about Schlein, suspended League councilor (who later apologises)

“Don’t we have someone who drives, with depression problems, unemployed, who offends Christians, who passes by and does us a favor?”. Words published on social media by Debora Piazzacouncilor of the League as well as party secretary in Barzanò, a municipality in the Lecco area. A reference to what happened in Modena, where Salim El Koudri crashed his car into a group of people, reducing them to the point of dying. But what sparked the controversy was the target of the Northern League member’s post: the secretary Elly Schlein who was in Lecco for the electoral campaign just yesterday. The reaction of the Democratic Party was immediate with the group leaders of the Chamber and Senate, Chiara Braga and Francesco Boccia, and the head of the Dem delegation in Brussels, Nicola Zingaretti.

Words that are “unacceptable and unspeakable in their literal meaning”, they explain: “Political controversy has nothing to do with it, much less the confrontation between forces in electoral competition. These are not the words of any League militant, but of a person who also holds institutional positions”. For this reason the dems ask a Giorgia Meloni to immediately distance himself and for deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini to apologize to the secretary of the Democratic Party. Apologies that should also be addressed to the wounded in Modena, who should never have been dragged into such a rant.”

The prime minister, shortly after learning of the Lecco case, conveyed her solidarity to the dem leader: “I express my solidarity to Elly Schlein for the very serious comment with which a local representative of the League in Lecco evoked the Modena massacre, referring to the rally in Lecco of the PD secretary”, underlines Meloni: “These are unacceptable words, who exceed every limit and who cannot find any justification in political confrontation”, adds the prime minister.

The intervention of the League was immediate and took care of suspend the councilor, as explained by the group leader in the Senate Massimiliano Romeo: “we totally distance ourselves, in a clear and unequivocal manner, from the unacceptable and absurd sentences written in a comment on social media by Debora Piazza, whom we immediately suspended from all our internal positions and for which we are evaluating further disciplinary measures, to be taken in the competent bodies”.

Suspending the councilor by the League was “a ‘right’ decision”, adds the Prime Minister, “clear and unambiguous. Violence, even just evoked, can never become a political language. There must be no hesitation on this.”

Solidarity with the secretary of the Democratic Party also comes from the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa: “I join in the unanimous condemnation expressed for the unworthy words uttered in a post by a municipal councilor in Barzanò, in the province of Lecco. Serious and unacceptable statements which were rightly and immediately distanced by everyone. May the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, and the community of Modena express my personal solidarity and that of the Senate of the Republic.”

By the President of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana comes the hope that the comparison never ignores respect and a “firm condemnation of the serious words uttered by the municipal councilor of Barzano”. In expressing solidarity with the dem leader, the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explains that “evoking the attack in Modena to hit the secretary of the Democratic Party and its militants during a rally in Lecco is a very serious act, unexpected by those who represent the institutions even in local authorities”. From the allies of the centre-left it is Giuseppe Conte who intervenes to condemn “the rude sentences of the Lecco exponent of the League”, sentences “which incite violence”, adds Conte, “make one shudder. This is not politics, it is not polemic, it is an unspeakable form of aggression. All my personal solidarity and that of my entire political community goes to Elly”.

Meanwhile, the author of the sentences let it be known that “it was not my intention to wish harm on anyone or fuel political hatred. If my words were interpreted in this way, I sincerely apologize. I believe in democratic discussion and respect for people, values ​​that must always prevail over any political tension”.