A 93-year-old senator who survived a concentration camp now worries about one thing in Europe – ‘I’m surprised no one is reacting’

“I’m really worried.” This is how an Italian senator and former concentration camp prisoner predicted the results of the upcoming European Parliament elections in two weeks. Liliana Segre Among other things printed matter– and Republic – This week’s newspaper.

The senator said there was an “authoritarian wind” in Europe, namely the rise of far-right parties. He was particularly worried about predictions that ID and ECR, which represent far-right groups in the European Parliament, could have a decisive position in the upcoming European Parliament.

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Segrè has repeatedly voiced his concerns in recent months about rising far-right support in Italy. The 93-year-old senator warned that “too many” people would not vote in the European elections and only far-right supporters would go to the ballot boxes.

Liliana Segre was 13 years old when she was taken to Auschwitz. She was later transferred to Malchow concentration camp, from where the Allies released the inmates in May 1945.

Segre is particularly worried now Georgia Melonen Constitutional amendments led by Italy’s far-right government

The current Italian constitution was drawn up immediately after the end of World War II Benito Mussolini After the fall of the Fascist dictatorship, its purpose was to ensure that a dictator like Mussolini could never again come to power in Italy.

Italy’s president has unusually broad powers from a European perspective. He can dissolve parliament, and therefore the government, at any time and has the power to veto ministerial appointments and government bills.

“I can no longer remain silent. The constitutional reforms proposed by the Merloni government contain several shocking aspects. I am surprised that no one in Italy is reacting to the government’s systematic and insane abuse of legislative power in the absence of particular necessity or emergency,” Segre said.

He was critical of the Merloni government from the outset and did not take kindly to the fact that the Italian Senate was led by a neo-fascist who claimed to be a Mussolini admirer. Ignazio La Russa.

Liliana Segre said she had also received threats many times and reminded that she was surrounded by bodyguards.

“I’ve received completely crazy threats, but I’m not scared. After everything I’ve been through, I’m not going to sit at home and wait for someone to come and kill me.”