Rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI)
leader and touted next premier Giorgia Meloni and centre-left
Democratic Party (PD) leader Enricno Letta on Monday sparred on
the significance of the 66th anniversary of the Marcinelle
mining disaster that claimed the lives of 136 Italian migrant
workers in Belgium on August 8, 1956.
Meloni contrasted the legal Italian migrants who died 66 years
ago with the illegal migrants that come to Italy today and are
"very often a work force for organised crime or unscrupulous
employers and gang masters who use them to drive down the wages
of Italians".
Letta said it was wrong to distinguish between "first class and
second class victims".
President Sergio Mattarella said "the emigration of our
co-nationals and the sacrifice that this entailed marked the
identity of Italy and the very process of European integration".
Meloni also reaffirmed her right to claim the status of
premiership candidate if, as expected, FdI leads the
right/centre-right alliance to victory in the September 25
general election.
She recalled the coalition's rule that the party who gets the
most votes has its leader enshrined as candidate to be named
possible premier by Mattarella.
The FdI-led alliance is currently touted to win power by a
comfortable margin.
Its already high chances were boosted Sunday by former industry
minister Carlo Calenda's pulling out of an electoral pact with
the PD.
Mloni has made migration a major plank of her platform saying
she is ready to set up a "naval blockade" to stop migrant boats
from North Africa.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
