Italy Marks Fascist Defeat Amid TV Censorship Row

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2024) Italy celebrates its liberation from Fascism on Thursday, an anniversary overshadowed by a censorship row at the public broadcaster centred on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right roots.

RAI, which has several tv and radio stations and is funded in part by a licence fee, abruptly cancelled a monologue on fascism by a renowned writer due to be broadcast on Saturday ahead of Liberation Day on April 25.

Critics have for months claimed RAI has appointed figures ideologically close to Meloni's government, the most right-wing since World War II, dubbing it "Telemeloni".

And the decision to pull Antonio Scurati's monologue, in which he accused Meloni's party of rewriting history, sparked widespread outrage.

"This RAI is no longer a public service but is being transformed into the megaphone of the government," said centre-left Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, echoing a phrase used by RAI's journalists' union.

Meloni herself, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, denied censorship on her part -- and responded to the row by posting Scurati's monologue on her Facebook account.

She suggested Italians decide for themselves, while making clear what she thought of him.

"Those who have always been ostracised and censored by the public service will never ask for anyone's censorship," she wrote.

"Not even those who think that their propaganda against the government should be paid for with citizens' money," she added, referring to reports Scurati wanted to be paid too much.