He defined Giorgia Meloni as “truly a Ciociara, in the most derogatory way”, in a debate at the Pontedera City Council. For this reason, a PD councilor, Floriano Della Bella, ended up at the center of a controversy that spread all the way to Rome. «They fill their mouths with people, respect and cohesion. But then they insult, in one fell swoop, almost half a million Italians by calling them inferior, ignorant, second-class citizens. But they are the only ones who are ignorant. Long live Ciociaria!», the prime minister’s reaction. The Frosinone dems also urged their party colleague to do mea culpa, and those from Pontedera apologised, but assured that it was “a slip of the tongue” in which the councilor “pronounced ‘ciociarà instead of ‘caciaronà'”. Nineteen years after the expression “Ciociaro semi-presidentialism” used by Massimo D’Alema to attack the center-right in the bicameral commission after the breaking of the ‘crustity pact with Silvio Berlusconi, a derogatory reference to the territory of southern Lazio is back in the political news. It all started from a meeting of the municipal council of the town in the province of Pisa, on 30 September.
«A motion was being discussed on the freedom and self-determination of women and on the promotion of a culture of respect and equality», they explain from the local PD, underlining FdI’s vote against and the reference of one of its councillors, Gian Paolo Quercetani, to “Elodie’s concerts with a ninety-degree thong”. Both he and Della Bella were reprimanded by the president of the city council, Marco Salvadori, also from the PD. After days of skirmishes at local level, the controversy makes a leap in quality and the video goes viral. «Borgatara, pescarola, ortolana. And then much more: ‘queen of Coattonià, ‘vaccà, ‘wide-mouthed frog, ‘str****’.
Meloni: “Proud to be called Ciociara”. The Democratic Party rejects the accusations: “A slip”
In recent years – writes Meloni on social media – I have received all kinds of epithets. Personal, about my body, about my family, about my origins. But today we change tone. And the level changes.” According to the prime minister, «for these gentlemen, being ‘ciociarì’ is a shame and if you say it to someone it is equivalent to insulting them. Not only that: it is even a term that should not be uttered in an institutional place.” She says she is «proud to be defined as Ciociara. Because – he continues – Ciociaria is one of the most beautiful, ancient and extraordinary territories of our Italy”. The Pontedera Democratic Party, however, rejects the accusations: «Turning a slip of the tongue into a scandal and diverting attention from issues of substance does not do politics a good service, nor to the quality of public discussion». «The patch is worse than the hole. Solidarity with the Prime Minister. Que viva Ciociaria, hoy y seempre”, comments the senator of the dem Filippo Sensi on social media.