NEWS
euroweeklynews.com
27 April - 3 May 2023
Sowing controversy ITALIAN Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has come under fire for his recent remarks on eth‐ nic replacement in Italy. The Minister for Agriculture, who is a close ally of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, suggest‐ ed that Italians were at risk of being replaced by immigrants due to their low birth rates on Wednesday, April 19. His comments have been condemned by op‐ position leader Elly Schlein, who compared them to fascist rhetoric. The phrase “ethnic re‐ placement” has been associated with the far‐ right conspiracy theory of the Great Replace‐ ment, which falsely claims that there is a plan Betty Henderson THE French President, Em‐ manuel Macron, is no stranger to controversy. He has been facing intense backlash from the public over his plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64. Seeking to escape the heat, Macron was caught on camera singing a street song with a group of young Parisians in a video recorded on Monday, April 17. How‐ ever, the video went viral for
to replace white people through increased im‐ migration. Italy’s low birth rate has been a concern of the right‐wing government, with Meloni pledg‐ ing to help Italians have more children. However, critics argue that the government’s recent actions, such as stopping the registration of same‐sex parents’ children and discussing the prosecution of couples who go abroad for surrogacy, reveal a troubling trend of discrimi‐ nation. While Meloni has not commented on Lollobrigida’s remarks, she has made similar comments in the past. Critics say recent events show the true colours of the governing coalition.
Hitting wrong notes all the wrong reasons. The group of men that the president sang with was re‐ portedly part of a Parisian choir that sings traditional songs on the street. One of the singers asked Macron to join in a rendition of an old song called ‘Le Refuge’, which he had sung on a trip to the Pyrenees last year. However, the song was then shared by a Facebook group
reportedly set up by the far right. The situation has only added to the negative public perception of Macron, with residents and protesters booing him on the streets during his recent visit to the eastern region of Alsace. De‐ spite the backlash, the presi‐ dent has now signed the deeply unpopular reforms into law.
EWN 13
