Gaullist presidential candidate Sarkozy allies with Italy’s post-fascists

In 2005, the Italian translation of Nicolas Sarkozy’s book, The Republic, Religion, Hope, appeared with a preface written by the leader of Italy’s right wing, and this year Fini repeated the favour with a preface to the Italian edition of Testimony, Sarkozy’s latest tome. In both editions, Fini’s prefaces are announced in large print on the title page of the books.

Fini lavishes praise on the leader of the Gaullist Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). He describes Sarkozy as a man who understands how “to actualise ideas in daily life and apply his experience as cabinet minister to the major global problems with which he is confronted: immigration, public order, administrative reform, burning suburbs and the crises of prominent enterprises such as [the French-based power generation and transport company] Alstom.”

The newspaper of the NA, IL Secolo d’Italia (The Italian Century), notes a close intellectual affinity between Sarkozy and Fini, and writes of “a certain symbiosis of politics, character and generations.”

In return, Sarkozy has responded with his own expressions of admiration. In the summer of 2006, he held an extensive discussion with Fini in Rome. He turned down an invitation to attend the NA’s congress in February this year because of conflicting obligations, but nevertheless sent greetings to the conference in which he enthusiastically extended his support to the Italian right.

Sarkozy expressed his “very best wishes” to “dear Gianfranco” for “the successful organisation and execution of this meeting, which I am convinced will once again confirm the fact that the NA represents one of the most important constructive forces on the Italian political landscape.”

Sarkozy conveyed his greetings to “all sympathisers of the NA,” who, “to the extent they have followed you on the way to renewal, have enabled the NA to become what it is today—an organisation which, together with Forza Italia [Berlusconi’s “Forward Italy”], embodies the spirit of the modern and innovative right.”

Sarkozy continued: “The courage to fight against preconceived ideas together with intellectual independence, which enables you to dare to promote innovative solutions—these are two features that enable the Italian right to stand up to the Unione [Italy’s governing centre-left coalition led by Romano Prodi] as a people’s movement, which we must absolutely cultivate in order to remain the most important force for the modernisation of political life.”

Sarkozy’s gushing effusions of sympathy and support for the Alleanza Nazionale is significant on a number of counts.

The NA is the direct successor organisation to the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the neo-fascist party that for decades during the post-war period formed the basis for the recruitment of long-time supporters of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Fini, now 55 years old, was for an extended period the right-hand man of MSI leader Giorgio Almirante.

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