(see related)
Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly
Schlein on Wednesday blasted Premier Giorgia Meloni's failure to
report to parliament on the release of Libyan general Osama
Almasri last month after he was arrested in Turin on a warrant
by the International Criminal Court (ICC), using a play of words
to call her "chicken'.
The leader of the opposition, centre-left party called Meloni
the 'president of the rabbit' (presidente del coniglio) instead
of the Italian term for the premier, the 'president of the
cabinet' (presidente del consiglio) as she let Justice Minister
Carlo Nordio and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi report on
the case.
Italians use the term rabbit to indicate cowardice rather than
chicken.
"This is a sad day for democracy," said Schlein.
"Nordio and Piantedosi came to the House to cover the Prime
Minister's back.
But today Giorgia Meloni should have been in this chamber.
"She lacks respect for the Chamber and the country.
"The truth is that you are ashamed of what you do and so you
lie.
"Giorgia Meloni should have been here. Instead you just attack
the magistrates".
At the end of her speech, PD lawmakers showed banners with
rabbits asking "Where are you Meloni?" and calling the premier a
"patriot on the run".
Schlein also picked up on some of the things Nordio said,
arguing they showed Almasri's release was a political decision,
not a technical one.
"You did not speak as a minister but as a defense lawyer of a
torturer," said Schlein.
"Why didn't Nordio, who had been informed since the day of the
arrest, respond to the requests of the attorney general (to
intervene)?
"Your inaction resulted in his release.
"First he (Nordio) tells us that he was freed because he didn't
have time to translate some pages into English, then he said
that he read them but found some faults.
"So he admitted that it was a political choice".
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