Mussolini-themed ads against Meloni spark political row in Italy

Italia Viva's social media posts around the campaign, accusing the government of censorship, ⁠have ​drawn thousands of views and dozens of comments, boosting the visibility of the small party, which polls at around 2.5%. Ferrovie dello Stato railway company said in a statement on Thursday it had not received complaints from the ⁠government over the ads.

Huge advertisements ‌posted in Italian ​train stations linking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with fascist leader Benito Mussolini have stoked social media interest in a small rival party that accused her of ‌censoring the campaign. The ads, whose lettering is in the style of 1930s fascist propaganda, bear the phrase "When she was around ...", an expression that Mussolini admirers often use to say things worked better under him, such as the running of the trains.

"When ‌she was around, trains arrived late," read one of the ads displayed in Rome and Milan's main stations, ‌which was removed after the company handling advertising in Italy's stations said it was "detrimental" to the railway's reputation. More than one in five high-speed trains arrived late last year, according to consumer group Altroconsumo.

Other posters from the campaign featuring jibes about taxes, inflation and prospects for young people ⁠are still ​up. They are part of ⁠a fundraising campaign by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's small opposition Italia Viva party, playing on Meloni's political roots. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party is ⁠a descendent of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), founded by fascist veterans after World War Two. She began her political career in ​MSI's youth wing.

The ads aim to persuade taxpayers to allocate 0.2% of their annual income tax to Italia Viva - ⁠an option available to Italians who wish to support a political movement. Italia Viva's social media posts around the campaign, accusing the government of censorship, ⁠have ​drawn thousands of views and dozens of comments, boosting the visibility of the small party, which polls at around 2.5%.

Ferrovie dello Stato railway company said in a statement on Thursday it had not received complaints from the ⁠government over the ads. La Stampa published a letter from Meloni on Friday in which she denied she was angered by ⁠the posters and said ⁠she had congratulated Renzi on the idea.

Renzi said in a statement: "I hope that, following the prime minister's authoritative clarification, Italia Viva will be allowed to continue its campaign - including the ‌one on ‌late trains - without any censorship." (Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing ​by Gavin Jones and Alison Williams)