From Borghi to Cunial, the 'no vax' patrol in the lists for the European elections

The patrol of candidates on 'no green pass' or 'no-vax' positions, who are aiming to be elected in Strasbourg on 8 and 9 June, is transversal, perhaps ready to relaunch conspiracy theses on Covid. Fratelli D'Italia, for example, has chosen as its leading candidate in the northeastern constituency, immediately after Giorgia Meloni, the outgoing MEP Sergio Berlato (in 2019 he came second only to Giorgia Meloni with 19 thousand preferences) known for his pro-hunting and anti animal rights positions, but above all for his no-vax and Covid denier positions. Theses, those on the pandemic, which he wished to recall on 1 May by taking part in a meeting with the emblematic title 'After the great Covid 19 hoax: we demand truth and justice' in the presence, among others, of the ex-League MEP, Francesca Donato, who is also often on denialist positions. "I travel the world and I am vaccinated, even for the optional ones," Berlato told Corriere del Veneto, "but after discussions with experts I decided not to undergo the inoculation of that, which vaccine is not, of Covid.

Remaining with the majority parties, the best known name is that of Claudio Borghi, Eurosceptic economist of the League, who is now on the list with the Carroccio for the central Italy constituency. Among his goals for Europe, after the slogan 'More Italy, less Europe', chosen by Salvini for the European elections, he put 'No WHO' as his second point, reiterating his opposition to the World Health Organisation. At the time of the pandemic, Borghi repeatedly spoke out against the green pass and compulsory vaccination, going so far as to claim that 'countries that have done more vaccinations have no different numbers than countries that were much further behind on vaccinations'.

The 'pasionaria' no vax Sara Cunial is a candidate in the North West and North East constituencies in the 'Libertà' list promoted by Cateno De Luca, leader of Sud chiama Nord. Elected to Parliament by the M5s in 2018 and then by the 5 Stars themselves, first suspended for having compared vaccinations to 'gratuitous genocide' and then expelled for having accused the Movement of having favoured the 'agromafias' with a measure she did not support, she ended the term in the Mixed group. In July 2022, in view of the political elections, she founded the Vita list together with other anti-vaccinationist exponents, without managing to enter parliament. At the European elections Vita (together with 18 other political formations) joined the Libertà list.

With Forza Italia, on the other hand, Cherima Fteita Firial, a former councillor at Alessandria town council for Fratelli d'Italia, who in November 2020, in a post on her Facebook profile, quoting some of virologist Giulio Tarro's theses on Covid, took aim at the information, even writing that it seemed to be 'back in the days of Goebbles', Hitler's right-hand man and minister of Propaganda of the Third Reich. In the long post, later removed, he claimed, among other things, that the Covid scare 'has been induced, exaggerated and exploited' and that 'the news of the vaccine serves to make us accept the lockdown, in the belief that we will be free very soon. Instead, no vaccine will arrive. At least not before the summer. The lockdown will last until May. Just long enough to complete the operation. Once the entire economic system has collapsed, the great financial speculation will come to the rescue and take everything with it at bargain prices. As per the script'. Interviewed by AdnKronos today she downplays those words: 'I was misunderstood,' she explains. 'I was reporting the thesis of the virologist Giulio Tarro, they were not my statements, and like many I had some doubts. I was instrumentalised, but I followed all the procedures and even vaccinated myself'.