CasaPound | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | Gianluca Iannone |
| Founded | 26 December 2003 (2003-12-26)[1] |
| Split from | Tricolour Flame |
| Youth wing | Students' Block |
| Membership(2017) | 6,000[2] |
| Ideology | Neo-fascism[3][4] Italian nationalism[5] Hard Euroscepticism[6] Souverainism[7][8] Anti-capitalism[9] Laicism[10][11] |
| Political position | Far-right[3][12][13][14][15] |
| Party flag | |
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| Website | |
www | |
CasaPound Italia (abbr. CPI; "House of[Ezra] Pound") is anItalianneo-fascist[3] movement. It was formerly apolitical party, born as a network offar-right social centres arising from the occupation of a state-owned building bysquatters in the neighborhood ofEsquilino inRome on 26 December 2003. Subsequently, CasaPound spread with other instances of squatting, demonstrations and various initiatives, becoming apolitical movement.
As such, in June 2008, CasaPound therefore constituted an "association of social promotion", and assumed its current nameCasaPound Italia – CPI; the party's symbol is the "Arrowed Turtle".[16] On 26 June 2019, CasaPound's leader Gianluca Iannone announced CasaPound existence as a political party had ended, going back to its original status of social movement.[17]
The first occupation made using the name CasaPound was on 26 December 2003 in Rome, by a group of young people referring to the ONC/OSA area (acronym for "Non-Compliant Occupations and Occupations with a Housing Purpose"), and coming from previous experience of CasaMontag (named afterGuy Montag) at the gates of Rome. The building, a state-owned building in via Napoleone III, later has been used as the national headquarters of the movement and the association. In 2010, 23 families and a total of 82 people lived in CasaPound occupied building.[18]
Previously, CasaPound was associated withTricolour Flame until 2008[19] but now has its own movement, CasaPound Italy, extending all over Italy with many social centres. While CPI does not recognize the classic definitions of right and left,[20] it is commonly placed in the category of the political groups and movements of the Italianradical right. Casapound is generally self-defined by its followers asThird Position, however.[21]
In 2011 it was estimated that CasaPound Italy had 5,000 members, while in 2017 they reached 6,000.[22] On 13 November 2017, Simone Di Stefano was elected secretary and nominal prime ministerial candidate for the2018 general election,[23] although the party subsequently formally stated that it hopedNorthern League leaderMatteo Salvini became prime minister.[24]
In order to participate in the2019 European Parliament election in Italy, an electoral joint list was formed by CasaPound together withUnited Right.[25] CasaPound leaderSimone Di Stefano topped the coalition's list however the coalition was unable to win any seats in theEuropean Parliament.[26] On 26 June 2019, CasaPound's Iannone announced CasaPound existence as a political party had ended, going back to its original status of social movement.[17]
During the2022 Italian general election, CasaPound supportedItalexit, which had a candidate list that included CasaPound members.[27][28]
One feature of this movement, according to sociologist Emanuele Toscano, is to present a different interpretation offascism aimed at overcoming the dichotomy of right-left.[29] The political position of CasaPound is based on the fascistThird Position, defined as "extreme-upper-centre" by the movement itself.[30]
The name, inspired by the poetEzra Pound, refers to hisCantos against usury, criticisms of the economic positions of bothcapitalism andMarxism, andhis cooperation with theItalian Social Republic. It also gives particular attention to theManifesto of Verona, theLabour Charter of 1927 and social legislation of fascism.[31] There has been collaboration with theidentitarian movement which propagates awhite,Christian Europe.[32] The movement also praises the legacy of far-left figures, likeChe Guevara[33] andHugo Chávez.[34]
On social and domestic issues, CasaPound has a stronganti-immigration stance,[35] but lack of homogeneity on other themes. In January 2016, many members of the movement participated in theFamily Day, supporting thetraditional family idea.[36] In 2017, the establishment of CasaPound expressed support forsame-sex civil unions,[37]advance directive and improvement of thewelfare state.[38][39] The party supportsabortion rights.[40] Some activists of the movement expressedantisemitic andxenophobic rhetoric online,[41] but CasaPound both refuses and expels members who support these ideas.[42]
On foreign policy, CasaPound is critical of theEuropean Union, instead supporting a communitarian-nationalist Europe.[43][44] The Movement was originally bothanti-American[45][46] andanti-Zionist,[47] and started a cooperation with the Lebaneseanti-imperialist,anti-Zionist,ShiaIslamist partyHezbollah in 2015.[48] However, Di Stefano later said, "we do not have problems with Israel".[49] In 2018, Di Stefano defended Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu's policies regarding repatriation of illegal immigrants to Africa as "undoubtedly excellent", and criticised humanitarian organisations and theUnited Nations for intervening to prevent them.[50] After the end of Di Stefano's leadership of CasaPound, it reverted to a strongly pro-Palestine stance in theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict.[51][52]
Di Stefano has expressed support for U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, but requested that he close U.S. military bases in Italy.[53]
Although leader Di Stefano has maintained outspoken support forRussian PresidentVladimir Putin, CasaPound has always taken a pro-Ukraine stance, being closely linked with the nationalist organizationRight Sector, with members fighting among the ranks of theAzov Battalion andMisanthropic Division.[54] This positions the organization as opposed to its neo-fascist rivalNew Force, which although a former Italian ally of the Ukrainian partySvoboda, it has, since 2014, taken a pro-Russian stance in the conflict and sent fighters to Donbas.[55] According to the Italian edition of theHuffPost, members of CasaPound went to fight in Ukraine, among them Francesco Saverio Fontana, who enlisted in theAzov Battalion.[56]
The social centre has its own musical band,Zetazeroalfa, an association ofcivil protection and promotes sports (hiking,parachuting,diving and other disciplines), union activities, and recreational activities, including a theater company, web radio, web television and a monthly magazine.
CasaPound has promoted initiatives outside the Italian territory through its non-profit organization Solidarité Identités.[57] The activities of the movement have been the subject of attention by some foreign media.[58][59]
From the period of activity of the first social centre then were organized and cultural meetings with several guests, including writerNicolai Lilin,[60] theLGBT deputyPaola Concia,[61] an ex-Red BrigadesValerio Morucci,[62] and the Chinese community.[63]
The main CasaPound political proposal is the so-calledMutuo Sociale (Social Mortgage),[64] as a response to the problem of housing which, according to official data, involving approximately 23,000 households throughout Italy. In October 2011, the Lazio Region officially approved it within its "House Plan".[65]
Starting with the 2011 elections CasaPound presented their candidates in local elections in civic lists or centre-right and succeeded in electing its representatives.[66] At regional and national elections of 2013 CasaPound Italy announced that it will present its civic lists throughout Italy.
CasaPounds student organization Blocco Studentesco was founded in 2006. Aside from being a place for interested people to find others with similar political views it also takes part in student elections. In 2009 it successfully entered the student parliaments with 100 representatives.[67] Its logo is based on the flag of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists from the 1930s.[68]
Blocco Studentescos main forms of action are demonstrations and parades.[69] Events such as flash mobs, hard bass and happenings are also organized and used for content production on social media.[70]
Some of the direct action Blocco Studentesco takes part in is violent. In 2008 there was a fight between the student organisation and left-wing students in Piazza Navona in Rome.[71]
Questions have been submitted by parliamentarians of theDemocratic Party about fascist propaganda and the violence of the student movement.[72]
In October 2023, the Students' Block protested an event in Rome attended by theLikud, theRepublican Party, theNational Rally,Fidesz and theAlternative for Germany, calling for the liberation of Palestine, theGolan Heights and theRepublic of Artsakh, and condemning the parties in attendance as "pro-Russian and anti-European".[73]
Over the years the leaders of CasaPound Italy have been invited to explain its “political model” in many of the major European capitals (Paris,Madrid,London,Lisbon,Brussels,Warsaw)[74] and the organization has been the subject of some reports by foreign media.[58]
In 2011 theFinnish Resistance Movement also invited members of CasaPound to a seminar inHelsinki.[75] The Finnish Resistance Movement representsnational socialism.[76] TheFinnish Security Intelligence Service researched the connections of the Finnish Resistance Movement to CasaPound after the2011 Florence shootings.[77]
The party's choice of American poetEzra Pound as a symbol of the movement has caused controversy with his daughter,Mary de Rachewiltz, who claimed it distorts the meaning of Pound's work and represents a "misappropriation" of his image,[78] despite Pound's stated support for fascism.
| Chamber of Deputies | ||||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 47,691 (20th) | 0.14 | 0 / 630 | – | Gianluca Iannone | |
| 2018 | 312,432 (10th) | 0.95 | 0 / 630 | – | Simone Di Stefano | |
| Senate of the Republic | ||||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 40,540 (20th) | 0.13 | 0 / 315 | – | Gianluca Iannone | |
| 2018 | 259,718 (10th) | 0.86 | 0 / 315 | – | Simone Di Stefano | |
| European Parliament | ||||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 89,142 | 0.33 | 0 / 72 | new | Simone Di Stefano Massimiliano Panero | |
| Region | Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lombardy | 2018 | 45,416 | 0.86 | 0 / 80 | – |
| Umbria | 2015 | 2,343 | 0.66 | 0 / 20 | – |
| Lazio | 2013 | 18,491 | 0.66 | 0 / 50 | – |
| 2018 | 42,609 | 1.68 | 0 / 50 | – | |
| Abruzzo | 2019 | 2,974 | 0.47 | 0 / 31 | – |
| Molise | 2018 | 477 | 0.33 | 0 / 21 | – |
| South Tyrol | 2018 | 2,451 | 0.86 | 0 / 35 | – |
| Trentino | 2018 | 1,215 | 0.48 | 0 / 35 | – |
"We are not racists, we are not anti-Semitic, we do not have problems with Israel," said Simone Di Stefano, CasaPound's vice president, when its then-political ally Matteo Salvini was denied entry into Israel on the purported basis of his CasaPound connection.
| International | |
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| National | |
