The Italian government has been criticised for praising fascist soldiers who fought in El Alamein, on the 82nd anniversary of the World War Two battle.
In a social media post, it said that those who took part “sacrificed their lives for our freedom”, describing the Italian and Nazi loss to the allies in North Africa as “heroic and tragic”.
Left-wing opposition parties decried the comments. The Five Star Movement party said it was “inopportune” to say Italian troops had fought for freedom, Reuters reported.
The row comes despite Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni making repeated attempts to distance her right-wing ruling party, Brothers of Italy (Fdl), from Italy’s totalitarian past.
Fdl is a direct political descendant of the Italian Social Movement, which was formed by members of Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Party after the war.
Meloni has sought to distance the party’s modern incarnation from its origins, saying it does not tolerate racism, antisemitism or nostalgia for Italy’s time under Mussolini.
Under fascist rule, Italy allied with Nazi Germany during World War Two and fought alongside its troops during the North African campaign.
The second battle of El Alamein – which began on 23 October 1942 – is considered the first major victory for Allied forces in World War Two and a key turning point in the overall conflict.
Thousands of Italian soldiers were killed or captured, with the defeat denying the Axis powers military dominance over North Africa.
Paola Chiesa, an Fdl politician, said the “heart of the nation” was at El Alamein on the anniversary of the beginning of the battle.
The Five Star Movement contested the government’s claim that Italian soldiers had fought for freedom, arguing they were “victims of [the] colonial and fascist regime” of the time, according to Reuters.
The party has previously faced criticism for its failure to condemn celebrations of Italy’s fascist past.
In January, Meloni remained silent after hundreds of men were seen giving fascist salutes at a rally in Rome.
Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said at the time that the constitution made it clear “neo-fascist groups must be disbanded”.
Meloni says Fdl should not be called “far-right”. In April she laid a wreath on Italy’s National Liberation Day, which celebrates its independence from Nazi Germany and the end of fascism.
In July, she said she was “angry and saddened” by reports of members of the party’s youth wing making fascist salutes, as well as using racist and antisemitic language.
But critics note that the party still bears the same three-coloured flame logo used by neo-fascists after the war.
