In the latest of a series of lawsuits drawing on Italy's comparatively harsh defamation laws, Donatella Di Cesare of Sapienza University in Rome will appear at a court in the Italian capital on 15 May, after a complaint by the agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, over comments she made comparing one of his speeches to Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Lollobrigida, who is married to Meloni's sister, sparked controversy in April 2023 when at a trade union conference he called on the country not to "surrender to the idea of ethnic replacement".
The trial centres on comments Di Cesare made to a talkshow in which she perceived there to be white supremacist connotations in the term "ethnic replacement", saying it could be found in the pages of Mein Kampf and in National Socialist ideology.
The philosopher, who has written books on continuities between Nazi thinking and modern-day conspiracy theories, said Lollobrigida spoke "like a gauleiter", a regional leader of Hitler's party.
In his criminal complaint, Lollobrigida said Di Cesare had portrayed him as "a Nazi who glorifies concentration camps and espouses extermination camps as a solution to immigration issues", which was "not only defamatory but also shameful".
"I fail to understand how my words could even remotely be likened to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf," he said.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Frozen pensions War Veteran says she lost out on £50,000
Anne Puckridge is travelling 4,400 miles on a mission to persuade the government to right a 'cruel' pensions policy, as Rupert Jones reports
Money hacks How to buy preloved items to give as Christmas gifts
Buying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift.
The Filter Best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust free
Stuart Andrews trialled the most powerful robot vacuums - some of which even mop your floors - and these are the ones he rates
Checkatrade How do rogue traders get past its checks?
The site says its tradespeople are 'guaranteed', but some customers say they have lost thousands after using it. Anna Tims reports
End of road Vauxhall workers in shock over plant closure
\"I don't have anything good to say about this place right now,\" someone shouts, as workers flood out of the front gates of the Vauxhall van plant on Luton's Kimpton Road.
Hybrid car sales could be permitted until 2035 to ease all-electric transition
Car manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.
Royal Mail falling further behind with delivery targets
Royal Mail has failed to deliver about a quarter of first-class post on time in recent months as its delivery performance continues to decline amid an investigation for missing its targets.
'Dirty money' Why people of all ages are investing in crypto
Miles, a 37-year-old NHS doctor from London, has been trying for years to persuade friends to buy cryptocurrencies.
Work Minister's plan to transform the job market
\"This is why I love jobcentres: because they're intensely hopeful places.\" The employment minister, Alison McGovern, has spent half an hour perched on a desk in an office block in Hoxton, east London, hearing from a group of job coaches.
Shoppers bag Black Friday gifts online but in-store sales lag
UK shoppers visited websites in droves to snap up Black Friday bargains, raising hopes the US-inspired promotional day would finally kick-start a festive spending spree.
