A book published in Italy by an active general – criticizing homosexuals, Jews, feminists, environmentalists and migrants – has become a source of partisan dispute, has the support of the prime minister’s party and tops the list of best-selling essays in the country.
The general in question, Roberto Vannacci, 55, former head of an elite group of paratroopers who headed the Military Geographical Institute in Florence, edited a book entitled “Il mondo al contrario” (“The world around it”, in free translation), published on August 10, sparking outrage given its racist and homophobic content, with Italy’s defense minister deciding to remove him from office.
In his book, the general writes, among other things, that homosexuals “are not normal”, rebelling against the “questionable rules of inclusion and tolerance imposed by minorities”, and also notes that the characteristics of the Italian volleyball player Paola Enogu, of African descent , “do not represent Italianness”.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto reacted immediately, complaining in a statement about “the personal ravings” of a general in office, as the opinions “discredited the military, the defense and the constitution”, and last Friday, fair, announced the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against Vannacci and his removal from the leadership of the institute he headed.
This Monday, Roberto Vannacci clarified that he was replaced as director of the Florence Institute, but was not fired, he guarantees that he does not regret anything he wrote in the published book and claims that he limited himself to expressing his opinion without any incitement to hatred, pointing out that freedom of expression is enshrined in the Italian constitution.
Vannacci is heavily criticized by opposition parties, particularly the left, but is enjoying a wave of solidarity on social media. He has received several messages of support from far-right forces, including figures from the Brothers of Italy party, the main party force. in the current coalition government led by Giorgia Meloni.
He also has his book among the bestsellers in Italy today and leads the top sellers in the essay section of the Amazon platform.
Among the various messages of support the general has received since the outbreak of the controversy in Italy is the challenge addressed to him on Sunday by the (small) far-right party Força Nova, which invited him to take part in the next parliamentary elections for the seat of senator vacant due to the death of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in Monza, near Milan, but Vannacci has already declined the invitation.
Despite the outraged reaction of the defense minister, a personal friend of Meloni, some elements of the prime minister’s party and members of the government defended the general’s right to say what he thinks, under the principle of freedom of expression, such as the case of the Secretary of State for Culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, who over the weekend regretted Crosetto removing Vannacci without reading his book, believing that the decision should have been left to the military hierarchies.
The coordinator of the Brothers of Italy, Giovanni Donzelli, defended that “in a free world one writes what one thinks”, and criticized the main opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD, centre-left), accused of being a “censor”, which in turn provokes the wrath of this political power.
“According to Donzelli, those who hold responsible positions in the state can say anything, they can insult people, ignore rights, make racist and homophobic statements. He talks about the constitution, but maybe he never read it. Let’s send him an e-mail exemplary”, responded the secretary of the PD bank in the Chamber of Deputies, Silvia Roggiani, according to which the coordinator of the Brothers of Italy “should be ashamed”.
For his part, the person responsible for the rights of the PD, Alessandro Zan, a homosexual activist, considered that “Donzelli’s delusions” about General Vannucci “belie” the Minister of Crosetto, and that “for the Brothers of Italy no problem, a general in office expresses a misogynistic, racist and homophobic hatred”.
Green and Left Alliance co-spokesman Angelo Bonelli also believed that Vannucci’s openly homophobic, racist, misogynistic and anti-environmental views “are at the core of Meloni’s party”, pointing out that “Donzelli not only on behalf of himself, as he is the coordinator of the Brothers in Italy and therefore he speaks on behalf of Giorgia Meloni”.
So far, Meloni has not publicly commented on this matter.
Source: DN
