Propaganda on air. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno, a senior member of the Italian Democracy Party, has called on Italian public broadcaster Rai to block Russian propagandist Vladimir Soloviev from appearing on a show tonight.
- Picierno asserted on X that “the Italian public service cannot be a megaphone for Russian disinformation” and urged the network director and supervisory commission to intervene.
- Massimo Giletti, the program’s host, hosted Soloviev three years ago on the free-to-air television channel La7, and they clashed at the time.
Sanctions and accountability. The European Union imposed sanctions on Soloviev, a host on Rossiya 1 with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
- The measures were taken as Soloviev has been known for his extremely hostile stance toward Ukraine and his public praise of the Russian government, actively supporting its military actions.
- In March 2022, Italian law enforcement seized two villas on Lake Como, owned by Soloviev and valued at approximately €8 million, as part of a broader investigation.
Resurgence of Russian influence. Soloviev’s scheduled appearance is seen as a resurgence of Russian propaganda in Italy, despite recent blaming from Russian diplomats against President Sergio Mattarella and cyber-attacks coordinated by anti-Russian groups against Italian websites.
- In this fraught context, former government allies 5 Star Movement and Lega—though now split, with Lega in government and 5SM in opposition—appear to share similar anti-EU and anti-NATO sentiments.
Political fallout. Giuseppe Conte, former Prime Minister and current leader of the Five Star Movement, recently reiterated his opposition to the €800 billion European rearmament plan.
- Yesterday, Conte advocated for a “new peace security conference” in the context of “an emerging multipolar world”, lamenting three years of bellicose rhetoric.
- Conversely, Lega leader Matteo Salvini has adopted an ultra-Trumpian pacifist stance, which has sparked controversy.
