President of the Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini called "a traitor" for moving away from Fascism during Neo-fascist exponent's funeral

A few days ago, Italian politician Pino Rauti passed away.

Rauti was one of the most famous leaders of the far right in Italy. He was a leading member of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a party founded by Mussolini’s supporters in 1946. Among the party members, there was Gianfranco Fini, current President of the Chamber of Deputies. Rauti was the party leader for a while, but afterwards he was defeated by Fini. In 1995, the MSI was dissolved and replaced by National Alliance (AN), still guided by Fini. Rauti thought that the new party was too far from the original fascist ideology, and he founded “Fiamma Tricolore” to continue the path of Fascism. He eventually founded another party called “Social Idea Movement” in 2004.

Pino Rauti and Gianfranco Fini

If you read so far, you might think that Rauti and Fini must have been pretty much alike. They were in the old days. But here is the big difference: Fini moved away from Fascism, renouncing his “faith” in it in 2003. Rauti never did. Rauti was always a Fascist.

Fini attended Rauti’s funeral in Rome yesterday. He probably shouldn't have. When Fini arrived, he was booed by the whole crowd, people yelled “Traitor” and spat on him. Some fanatics even tried to physically assault him. Only because he is not a Fascist anymore.

Fini is not perfect, that’s for sure. But if there is one thing that he undoubtedly did right in his life was abandoning Fascism. You could dislike him for many reasons, such as the anti-immigration law he wrote a few years ago, not to mention all the years that he spent defending Berlusconi’s ridiculous deeds, but you have to give him credit for giving up Fascism. But he is called a “traitor” instead.

After the terrible history of Fascism in Italy, I don’t even understand how someone can talk about it in a positive light. And yet, when Rauti’s coffin was taken into the church, the crowd gave him the Roman salute.  And then tried to attack Fini.

Personally, I find all of this not only really uncivil, but a little scary too.

Here is the video.