** Applause, emotion, and tears greeted the procession commemorating the August 2, 1980, Bologna station bombing, which killed 85 people and injured 200. Attendees included Minister of Universities and Research Anna Maria Bernini, Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore, and Emilia-Romagna Region President Michele De Pascale, alongside Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated: “Forty-five years ago, Italy endured one of its darkest chapters. Terrorism savagely struck Bologna, disintegrating the station. Today, we stand with the victims’ families and all citizens of Bologna in their grief and demand for justice.” She pledged the government’s commitment to “uncover the full truth” about post-war massacres, citing ongoing declassification of state archives in collaboration with victims’ associations.
Paolo Bolognesi, head of the victims’ relatives association, declared: “We now know the perpetrators and have proof. The attack—planned in 1979—was orchestrated and funded by leaders of the infamous P2 masonic lodge, protected by Italian secret service members tied to P2, and executed by fascist terrorists.” He criticized persistent institutional cover-ups, adding, “Condemning the bombing without acknowledging its fascist roots is like condemning a poisonous plant while watering its roots.” Bolognesi emphasized that the truth’s opponents span the political spectrum, noting all convicted bombers had links to the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement.
Mayor Lepore stressed nationwide significance: “Recent Supreme Court rulings confirm the judicial truth—we now know the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors.” He called for this precedent to extend to other unsolved massacres, asserting “truth and justice are etched in Bologna’s heart.”
Minister Bernini rejected any “past-present” connections, stating: “I firmly disagree, personally and as a government representative, with Bolognesi’s references to the current administration.”
President Sergio Mattarella labeled the bombing “an indelible mark of inhumanity by a neofascist subversive strategy targeting constitutional values.” PD leader Schlein urged governing officials to “read the court sentences,” while retired judge Francesco Maria Caruso declined interviews, citing a “politically overheated climate” pending final judicial deliberations.
—ANSA*