Marcinelle: Meloni attacks the CGIL: “They’ve turned their backs on La Russa. Shameful.” Landini denies this

The Marcinelle commemoration has become a political issue, with Fratelli d’Italia and the CGIL at loggerheads. The accusation levelled at some members of Maurizio Landini’s trade union is that they turned their backs whilst Senate President Ignazio La Russa was delivering his speech. A similar scene is said to have occurred during the speech by the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Antonella Sberna, who is also a member of Fratelli d’Italia. However, the trade union’s secretary denies this. 

The accusation comes from Meloni-aligned MEP Carlo Fidanza, who posted a video of the scene on social media. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni herself stepped in to escalate the controversy: “Turning one’s back during the Marcinelle commemoration is a serious and shameful act,” she wrote on her social media accounts.  “A political protest turned into a gesture of contempt towards the institutions of the state at the very moment when Italy is paying tribute to the 262 victims and the sacrifice of so many of our fellow citizens. And it is even more serious when those doing so are representatives of an organisation whose very raison d’être is to represent and protect workers.” Marcinelle, the Prime Minister added, “is not a place for political divisions. It is a place of remembrance, respect and the dignity of labour. Those who chose to turn their backs today have shown a lack of respect for all of this.”

For his part, CGIL secretary Maurizio Landini denies the allegations and responds to Meloni. “I find it remarkable that our Prime Minister, with all the problems Italians are facing today, can find the time to comment on lies,” he said from Marcinelle. “What matters today is that no one should die at work,” he continued, “and it is clear to everyone that what happened here seventy years ago was not an act of fate, but the result of a business model that prioritised productivity and profit and turned labour into a commodity.” 

In the images posted by Fidanza, people can be seen with their backs turned whilst LaRussa is speaking. Some of them are wearing red sweatshirts. The MEP is calling on the left to distance itself from this. “If a certain Mr Fidanza, just to make his presence known, has to speak ill of the CGIL, I think – it’s sunny here in Marcinelle today – he’s got sunstroke,” replied Landini. “Because the CGIL, in case he doesn’t know, never turns a blind eye at any time, least of all when it comes to respect for our President of the Republic.” 

Meanwhile, the Belgian trade union FGTB has claimed responsibility for the action in a statement to ANSA: “All our comrades in the FGTB have taken a stand, because we are against the presence of fascist parties, and for us, FDI is a far-right party. We are against the presence of all fascist parties. Their presence is not welcome, especially in a place that is very important for Italian immigration,” said Vincent Pestieau, regional secretary of the Belgian trade union FGTB in Charleroi. Our protest “was not directed at Mattarella, but simply because Ignazio La Russa spoke on behalf of the government,” he added.