Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ruled out the possibility of removing the tricolor flame symbol from her party’s logo, despite growing calls to abandon its fascist connotations, reports RFE.
“Removing the flame… has never been a topic,” Meloni stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera on January 3.
Her remarks followed earlier comments from Luca Ciriani, a member of her party, Brothers of Italy (FdI), and the minister for relations with Parliament. Ciriani had hinted that the time would eventually come to retire the flame.
“It’s a symbolic thing, and like many other symbolic things, its time will come, even if we don’t completely let go of it,” Ciriani remarked in November 2024.
Meloni, the far-right leader who took office in October 2022, has sought to distance herself from the nationalist legacy of her party, which was founded in 2012 and has roots in the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI).
As a young activist in 1996, Meloni described fascist dictator Benito Mussolini as a “good politician.” However, she now claims that any nostalgia for fascism has “no place” in Italian politics.
Despite her efforts, critics—including members of her own party—continue to urge Meloni to remove the flame from the party’s logo. The tricolor flame, inspired by Jean-Marie Le Pen’s National Rally in France, is believed by some analysts to represent Mussolini’s tomb in Predappio, which still draws thousands of visitors annually.
The flame was incorporated into the party logo in 2014. However, the symbol remains controversial, as many senior officials within Brothers of Italy openly admire Mussolini’s regime, which enacted anti-Semitic laws in 1938.
Ignazio La Russa, co-founder of the party and current Senate President, is a former activist in the Italian Social Movement. Last month, the ultraconservative newspaper Libero Quotidiano—run by a former spokesperson for Meloni’s government—featured Mussolini on its cover, naming him “Man of the Year.” The editorial accused left-wing factions of exploiting history for political gain.
Meloni remains defiant, emphasizing her pride in her political choices. “I have nothing to be ashamed of,” she told Corriere della Sera.
Despite a slight decline in popularity—down 16 points from its peak—the Brothers of Italy still lead with 42% public support, according to recent polls.
