Cirio, controversy over a praise of body care during fascism: he: misunderstood

“Sports activity was completely neglected after the Second World War. At the time of fascism, much attention was paid to the care of the body, sport was important in schools. After the fall of the dictatorship, sports activity was canceled from schools due to reaction. “This was stated by the president of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, speaking at the Vicolungo outlet, in the Novara area, at the inauguration of the” Kinder Joy of Movement Park “, a structure dedicated to children’s physical activity .

Words, those of Cirio, which immediately elicited reactions. “President, do not be nostalgic: even today it is full of fascists. On the 20th and 21st we voted: think about it,” writes MP Filippo Sensi on Twitter. “I see that the president of the Piedmont Region feels nostalgic for the care of the body that the fascist regime had. I’m afraid he was referring to the baton and castor oil-based cures to opponents who defended democracy and freedom, ”added the spokesman. Italian left-wing national team Nicola Fratoianni.

Osvaldo Napoli, a deputy and leader of Forza Italia in the city of Turin, also beat up “his friend Cirio”, writing that he “launched into a rather daring confrontation over body care under fascism and the subsequent democratic regime.” Fascism, it is true, the Italian Youth of the Littorio began in mass sport, only to be sent to fight and die in Greece, Albania, Russia, Egypt … it seems that some nostalgia for that sport has survived in some environments I’m thinking of the young protagonists of the Colleferro massacre. It’s true, ‘a nice silence was never written’ … “.

But it is the president himself – who leads a center-right board – to clarify: “Nostalgic for fascism? You forget that those of Alba like me have antifascism in their DNA. I simply tried to reconstruct historically why in Italy it is no longer taught Gymnastics And the reason must be sought precisely at the time of the fascist regime, which exasperated the care of the body. After the fall of the dictatorship, perhaps on the contrary, physical education was abandoned at school. But it certainly did not want to be a compliment of fascism towards which I have always had words of condemnation, both for family history and, I repeat, for the city where I come from: a city that has paid much tribute to the fight for the Resistance and is deeply attached to those values. Even 75 years later. “

Returning to the issue that triggered the controversy, Cirio recalls that “When I was Councilor for Sports with Ferrero and Coni I had developed a project that brought teachers specialized in sports closer to the school.” Among other things, Cirio had opened his day on social networks with a photo that portrayed him with Liliana Segre at the Teatro Sociale de Alba to wish the senator a lifelong victim of racial persecution a happy birthday.

“Alberto Cirio has specified that he is an anti-fascist, and has closed an incident triggered by a somewhat regrettable sentence. Better this way. These days it is good not to be indulgent, because we cannot allow ourselves any misunderstanding and ambiguity.” Thus on Twitter Enrico Borghi, from the presidency of the Pd Group in the Chamber.