South Tyrol’s Greens warn of neo-Nazism and seek action against extremism: “They are returning and despise institutions”

“There are neo-Nazis in our province, fascism is returning, and we must draw a red line.” With those words, Brigitte Foppa presented a Green party motion aimed at forcing South Tyrol’s provincial council and government to respond to what she calls the spread of right-wing extremism.

The motion, due to reach the provincial council on Sept. 11, demands an unequivocal rejection of fascism, neo-Nazism, racism and antisemitism. It also calls for a values charter, scientific monitoring and preventive work in schools and youth centres.

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In three legislative terms, this is the first time I have felt such strong contempt for institutions from the very beginning. There are neo-Nazis in our province, fascism is returning, and we must draw a red line.

Foppa said she had never, in three legislative terms, felt such strong contempt for institutions so early in a term. She accused some parties in the council of deepening contacts with Germany’s AfD, said individual councillors had hosted neo-Nazis, and criticised members of Süd-Tiroler Freiheit for attending far-right marches. She argued that replacing the word “Jews” with “immigrants” in extremist slogans produced the same language heard in the 1930s and 1940s.

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There are youth centres in Bolzano and the surrounding area where neo-Nazi statements can be heard, and at school some people give the Roman salute.

She said it had become normalised to believe that some people were worth less than others. Foppa also pointed to neo-Nazi statements in youth centres in Bolzano and surrounding areas, Roman salutes at school, and online comments praising Mussolini or threatening her after a post about the Victory Monument. She said she had reported those comments to the postal police, including for the apology of fascism.

Councillor Zeno Oberkofler said neo-fascist groups felt more comfortable appearing publicly and intimidating people since the Meloni government took office. He cited alleged cases in Bolzano in which people were beaten by CasaPound after singing “Bella Ciao” in the street. He urged Italy not to minimise radical right-wing forces or shift attention toward left-wing extremism instead of confronting what he called the real danger in South Tyrol.

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Since the Meloni government took office, neofascist forces feel much more comfortable appearing in public, giving the Roman salute in squares and intimidating people.