(see related story on Basilicata)
Marcello Pittella, the former
governor of Basilicata and a regional councillor there, has
apologized after saying in an audio message that the Democratic
Party (PD) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S) wanted to send his
centrist Azione party to death like Jews in a concentration camp
amid a row over alliances ahead of next month's regional
election.
"(PD leader Elly) Schlein's right-hand man says that Azione
cannot be on the centre-left list because (Azione leader Carlo)
Calenda said things that weren't nice about the PD and (M5S
leader Giuseppe) Conte," Pittella said in the audio message to
members of his team.
"And, above all, because he (Calenda) said (centre-right
incumbent Governor Vito) Bardi is a good person.
"Their statement has you putting your hands in your hair.
"It saddens me tremendously because it means there's an effort
to hurt, to cause death.
"You know when they deported Jews and had to take them to gas
chambers? "There you go, for them I am a Jew who must die".
Pittella apologized as soon as reports of what he had said came
out.
"Days of stress and emotional tension generated an unjustified
and totally unintentional hyperbole in private audio," he said.
"I used those words to describe the way we were treated after
having governed the region for the centre left with dignity and
honour.
"I am deeply sorry for what happened and I apologize to anyone
who may have felt offended."
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