Antonio Scurati read the monologue on April 25th not broadcast by Rai in Naples. He did it from the stage of the ‘Repubblica delle idee’ which he reached amidst the applause of the public who filled the courtyard of the royal palace in Naples and who gave him a long standing ovation. “It’s hard, tiring, painful – said Scurati -. I am a private citizen who reads and writes books and, suddenly, for having been a writer, I find myself at the center of a fierce, ruthless and factual political-ideological controversy of personal, denigrating attacks, which paint me as a profiteer, almost like an extortionist.”
“I have never cried wolf, saying ‘fascists and squad members are coming back’ – he continued -, because I have studied and talked about the historical fascism of 100 years ago for a long time to make these extremist and reckless predictions, but I must say that this type of aggression is a form of violence. A private citizen feels subjected to an overwhelming burden, I was annoyed by the fact that a post from the Prime Minister forced me to reply, which puts me in a position victim, a position I don’t want to take, but since there were incontrovertible falsehoods on a factual level, I had to reply. But I don’t want to play the victim,” Scurati specified.
A concept reiterated shortly after: “By now the sense of democracy in the country has been somewhat lost. The fact that the head of the Government, who is the embodiment of the Executive, can personally attack a private citizen, who works as a professional intellectual and journalist, I must say that this type of aggression, not physical, is a form of violence. When a political leader of such charisma, as Prime Minister Meloni certainly is, who has a very large following, in whose followed somewhere down there, also given the political history from which it comes, there is certainly some individual who is no stranger to violence… when the leader points the finger at the enemy and the newspapers, or rather the supporting ‘squad journalists’ of the Government they put you on the front pages, with the headline ‘the man of m.’, they draw a target around your face. Then maybe there is someone aiming at that target. It happens, it has already happened.” , Scurati vented.
“When we say that democracy is at risk, we must not make the mistake of thinking that the risk or danger is tomorrow. We must look alongside, sometimes behind. The opponents of complete, mature, liberal democracy are already here. They already govern in some countries. Wait for the return of the fascist squads – Scurati warned – it is my opinion that democracy runs risks from leaders and movements who have a large popular following and who consider it outdated, inept, liberal democracy is old and corrupt, as we have known it and as it is expressed in our Parliament, guaranteed by our Constitution”.