In an act of dramatic protest, Italian MP Riccardo Magi, secretary of the Più Europa party, entered the Chamber of Deputies dressed as a ghost, draped in a white sheet bearing the word “Referendum”. His theatrical stunt aimed to denounce the majority’s call for abstention from the June 8–9 referendums, as Lega party leader Riccardo Molinari addressed the floor during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s question time.
Magi’s ghost costume was intended to symbolize how the referendum issue is being silenced or “made invisible” in Italy’s political discourse. His protest interrupted proceedings and drew immediate disciplinary action.
Chamber President Lorenzo Fontana ordered Magi’s removal. Security guards at Montecitorio escorted the MP out of the chamber while he shouted toward Meloni, “Do you remember?” as she smiled in response, watching the spectacle unfold.
The incident underscores growing tensions in Italian politics as June’s referendums approach. Magi’s protest highlighted fears that the government is encouraging public disengagement from direct democracy, rather than fostering open debate.
