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Italian fascist speaks in London

01 January 1995

Outrage has greeted the decision, by the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA), to invite Italian fascist leader Gianfranco Fini to speak at a meeting in London on February 15, which was picketed by anti-fascist groups.

Fini is the leader of the National Alliance, which was formerly known as the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) until it was cynically dissolved at a party congress in January. The MSI was the successor to Mussolini's pre-war fascist movement and was led by former Mussolini minister Giorgio Almirante until his death in 1988. The MSI had already changed its name, in time for last year's elections, which resulted in five National Alliance members taking positions in Silvio Berlusconi's coalition Forza Italia government. The dissolution is seen as a cosmetic attempt to distance the Alliance from a disreputable past that saw members involved in far-right terrorist bombings during the 1980s. The congress also saw about 100 members, led by former leader Pino Rauti, split from Alliance. They intend to form a breakaway group retaining the name MSI.

The invitation to speak at the RIIA has been widely condemned; Labour MEP Glyn Ford has criticised the invitation asserting that "The man's a fascist". Labour MP David Winnock said that "Fini is not the sort of person we want invited to Britain."