PES president Sergei Stanishev said: “The far-right has come out of the closet and is acting increasingly shamelessly, encouraged by the extremists in power. It’s time to say that the inacceptable cannot become normal, that racist insult cannot be deemed edgy or provocative. It is simply shameful and wrong. The Lega’s overreaction to Cécile Kyenge’s claims of racism – after being a victim of openly racist insults – only proofs that they are, indeed, a racist party. They have launched a coordinated personal war against her because of the colour of her skin”.
MEP Cécile Kyenge recently announced that she would ask for her immunity to be revoked. A fair trial in this case is much more important now, with La Lega in government.
At the same time another MEP – Eleonora Forenza from the GUE group in the European Parliament – and her assistant – Antonio Perillo – were attacked by a far-right violent group in the town of Bari, southern Italy, last Friday. The PES extends its in solidarity with Ms. Forenza and her assistant and stands with them in the defence of pluralist, diverse societies.
“We must stop xenophobia and outright racism before it’s too late and we must stop it together”, Stanishev added.
