Italian Deputy Prime Minister Mr Gianfranco Fini, whose party traces its roots to Fascism, demanded today the expulsion of one of his lawmakers for distributing a video that praised a Nazi war criminal.
Mr Antonio Serena, a member of Mr Fini's National Alliance party (AN), sent parliamentarians this week a biographical video on Erich Priebke, a former SS captain sentenced to life for his part in the murder of 335 civilians in Rome in 1944.
The video, which is described on the cover as "a message of immeasurable human value", casts Priebke's life in a positive light and minimises his role in the Rome massacre.
Mr Serena's initiative infuriated Mr Fini, who has worked hard to rid his party of the long shadow of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and who will pay a charged visit to Israel next week. AN said it had suspended Serena from its parliamentary ranks and indicated that it might eventually expel him from the party.
"I'm extremely pleased that the AN parliamentary group has got rid of (Serena), a dangerous burden and an isolated voice in the party," AN lawmaker Mr Gustavo Selva told ANSA news agency.
Several centre-left opposition parliamentarians praised Mr Fini's rapid move against Mr Serena, but said the episode showed there was still ambiguity within AN about World War Two.