A member of the ruling Fratelli d'Italia party takes his weapon to a celebration. A shot is fired. The opposition is sharply critical.
Rosazza – Italian MP Emanuele Pozzolo attended a party on New Year's Eve and had a gun with him. A shot was fired from this, which slightly injured a 31-year-old. But it initially remains unclear what exactly happened in Rosazza, around 70 kilometers from Turin. Pozzolo is a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ruling Fratelli d'Italia party.
Meloni MP Pozzolo denies having shot himself
The newspaper La Republica quoted from a statement by Pozzolo. “I confirm that the shot was fired accidentally from a pistol that I was carrying in accordance with regulations, but that I was not the one who fired,” it said.
The 38-year-old politician admits that he took out the weapon to show it. The shot went off. As the public prosecutor announced, they immediately initiated investigations against Pozzolo. The offense is either intentional or negligent bodily harm. She also recovered the bullet lodged in the victim's left calf.
Shot victim in Italy was able to leave hospital quickly
After less than a day, the victim was able to leave the hospital where he was admitted after the accident. It is said to be the son-in-law of a bodyguard for Deputy Justice Minister Andrea Delmastro.
Italy has strict laws regarding the carrying of weapons. Anyone who has a sporting or hunting firearms license may only carry a weapon for a specific purpose, i.e. at the shooting range or while hunting. Only a firearms license for personal protection entitles you to carry a weapon with you at all times. It is not immediately clear from the reports whether Pozzolo has a firearms license.
Opposition criticizes Pozzolo's behavior
The opposition parties criticize his behavior as irresponsible. “We would not have believed that the passion for weapons in Giorgia Meloni's party was so great that MPs invited them to New Year's celebrations,” said Elly Schlein, head of the Democratic Party. She urged the Prime Minister to take action against the MP.
Neither Meloni nor her party initially responded to the public criticism. Nor does the statement by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who announced via X (formerly Twitter): “Why bring weapons to a New Year’s party with MPs and members of the government? Meloni's leadership class is not one: they are unsuitable, incompetent, not socially acceptable. And dangerous.” (with AFP material)
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