Ignazio La Russa

La Russa claimed that Giorgio Almirante had advanced the Italian right's democratic development. The left and civic associations condemned this as revisionism minimising Almirante's fascist past and role in the MSI.

State of the evidence

Documented

On the anniversary of Paolo Borsellino's assassination, La Russa said that the magistrate would today be a minister in a Fratelli d'Italia government. The statement prompted strong reactions from political critics and members of the Borsellino family, who rejected this partisan appropriation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

During the crisis caused by journalist Sigfrido Ranucci's removal from RAI, La Russa denied having requested his replacement while claiming that many investigations by the programme Report were 'bufale'. His remarks became part of wider criticism of public broadcaster independence.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

A bust of Benito Mussolini and other fascist memorabilia in La Russa's home have repeatedly prompted criticism of his relationship with his neo-fascist past and the institutional image of a Senate President.

State of the evidence

Admitted by the person

After footage of Roman salutes at the Acca Larentia commemoration, La Russa emphasised that courts had not been uniform in determining whether the gesture constituted a criminal offence. The opposition criticised his response as too lenient towards fascist symbols.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

In an interview, La Russa said that learning one of his sons was gay would cause him 'minor displeasure', among other remarks about sexuality and male and female roles. The comments drew extensive criticism as homophobic or stereotypical.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

La Russa caused a political crisis by describing the German servicemen killed in the Via Rasella partisan attack as a 'musical band of semi-retirees' rather than Nazi soldiers, an account strongly disputed by historians and the opposition.

State of the evidence

Documented

Ahead of 25 April, La Russa stated that the word 'antifascism' did not explicitly appear in Italy's Constitution. Opponents considered the remark reductive given the Republic's antifascist origins, and some called for his resignation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following the disclosure of a sexual assault allegation against his son Leonardo Apache La Russa, the Senate President declared that he was certain his son had committed no criminally relevant act and commented on the young woman's behaviour and the delay in filing her complaint. These remarks prompted criticism concerning respect for a complainant and the separation between his family role and institutional office.

A post on his social media accounts during the emergence of coronavirus ironically suggested replacing handshakes with the Roman salute. The post was immediately condemned as trivialising fascism.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Directly implicated

As a young Fronte della Gioventù leader, La Russa attended the banned MSI demonstration in Milan on 12 April 1973, during which a grenade killed police officer Antonio Marino. His name, like that of his brother Romano, appears in the judicial and political history of the event.

State of the evidence

Documented