ECR group leader Nicola Procaccini sued Social Democrats’ chairwoman for “aggravated slander”

Brussels – High tension between the group leaders of the European Conservatives and Reformists, Nicola Procaccini, and the Socialists and Democrats, Iratxe García Pérez. The Fratelli d’Italia MEP announced that he had filed a complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office for aggravated slander against his Spanish Socialist colleague, who had accused him of performing a fascist salute in Fanpage’s reportage about the National Youth movement of Giorgia Meloni’s party.

In the documentary, Procaccini is seen attending an evening at the National Youth Club “Casa Italia” in Rome. Arriving, the MEP greets several militants by clasping their forearms. Not a “fascist salute” (the gesture of bringing the right arm outstretched forward) of which he was accused by García Pérez, but a “gladiatorial salute”, typical of far-right camaraderie. “We are shocked by the documentary made by the online platform Fanpage that chronicles the close ties between Meloni’s party and fascist nostalgia. Among the many scandalous videos, there is an image that clearly shows ECR co-chair Procaccini doing the so-called ‘fascist salute,'” the socialist leader had written on her X account.

“This is a brutal, violent slander. There is no image of me doing the fascist salute because I have never done the fascist salute in my entire life, not even as a joke,” Procaccini told agencies today (June 20) on the sidelines of the Conference of Presidents, the body of the European Parliament that brings together the group leaders and the president of the House. Already last week, the ECR group leader announced his intention to ask the Conference of Presidents to “formally stigmatize this unacceptable way of doing politics.”

The Melonian loyalist, therefore, sued Perez for slander aggravated “by the fact that she did it publicly on a public social media.” And he challenged the PSOE MEP to “show the image of me doing the fascist salute.” In that case—or in the event of a public apology from his colleague—Procaccini said he was “willing to withdraw the lawsuit”. Personally involved in Fanpage’s reporting, Procaccini “strongly condemned” the “three, four very young boys” making the fascist salute.

The European Commission’s chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, also spoke on the matter, and to a specific question from the press about the report, he had commented, “The European Commission’s view on the symbolism of fascism is very clear: we do not believe it is appropriate, we condemn it, we think it is morally wrong.” So far, no comment or distance has instead come from the leader of Fratelli d’Italia, Premier Giorgia Meloni. To whom the oppositions—PD and M5S—have asked to take a stand, submitting a question to the Senate.

According to Ansa reports, García Pérez’s response has already arrived, not exactly conciliatory: “Threats will not silence us. The far-right wants to silence political opponents or newspapers or anyone who criticizes them by threatening lawsuits simply for commenting on the images of an investigation,” the Socialist group leader commented, later relaunching, “What really worries me is that instead of expressing his condemnation for any use or reproduction of fascist signs, (Procaccini, Ed.) concentrates all his energy on threatening me over a tweet.”