Meloni condemns "vile" social media attacks on minister Roccella

Premier Giorgia Meloni issued a sharp rebuke of social media users who posted hostile comments toward Family and Equal Opportunities Minister Eugenia Roccella, calling the attacks "vile and inhuman."

Roccella's husband went missing in Lake Vico on Saturday, June 27, and has not resurfaced. Following the incident, negative comments appeared across social platforms directed at the minister and her family.

In a post on X, Meloni stated that reading such comments "makes you shudder." She drew a distinction between political disagreement and what she characterized as moral degradation. "There is a limit that should never be crossed, and that is the respect owed to human suffering," Meloni wrote. "When you strike at a person and a family in such a dramatic moment, you are no longer in the field of political confrontation, but in that of moral misery."

Meloni attributed the hostile climate to what she described as a poisoned atmosphere that some had cultivated over time. "It is also the fruit of a poisoned climate that some have fed for too long, legitimizing hatred, dehumanization and contempt," she said. "And this filth should outrage everyone, without exception and without ambiguity."

In a separate statement, Meloni addressed broader questions about her political stance and international relations. Speaking to Rete, she said she is "a person who believes that Italy is stronger in a united West" and has worked to advance that position. She characterized herself as frank in her dealings and stated she does not allow herself to be disrespected by anyone, nor does she disrespect others. "My vision of what is necessary for Italy has not changed," she added.