Mirko Tremaglia

Mirko Tremaglia

Mirko Tremaglia (17 November 1926 – 30 December 2011) was an Italian politician and lawyer. Famous for his youth as a fascist soldier, he was one of the most important exponents of the Italian far-right politics during the "First Republic" Italian period (1948-1994).

Quotes

• [Following the Fastweb scandal over the 2006 vote] Repealing the law would be a disgrace, a real act of self-destruction, and a way of making Italy less powerful on the global stage, both politically and economically.

• Quoted in Andrea Clementi, Interrogativi sul voto degli italiani all'estero, Swissinfo.ch, 5 March 2010.

• The Office of the President of the Republic will make the necessary contacts with Bergamo City Council and Mayor Franco Tentorio to arrange the date and details of the official visit. I am delighted that President Napolitano has decided to visit the city. As soon as I put forward the proposal, he was immediately enthusiastic and told me that the visit had to take place. I think it is right that Bergamo should be honoured as the 'City of a Thousand'.

• Quoted in in Il presidente Giorgio Napolitano riceve Mirko Tremaglia, Comunicazioneinform.it, n°. 177, 24 September 2010.

• [On the navy's boarding of migrant smugglers' vessels] Bossi fell victim to the summer heat.

• Quoted in Lorenzo Salvia, Clandestini e cannoni, i Poli contro Bossi, Corriere.it, 17 June 2003; available on Cestim.it.

Interviews

Con il referendum del 15 giugno, gli italiani all'estero hanno vinto la sfida di italianità, Fondazionemagnagrecia.it, 3 September 2003

• I say it again and again, on every occasion: Italians around the world are a great asset and a source of wealth for the new Italy; the economic benefits for our country have been calculated at 191 trillion lire. However, above all, the 4 million Italian citizens living abroad and the 60 million people of Italian origin represent Italy's pride and honour, because they have always cherished a love for their homeland and celebrated our culture, our language, our history and our traditions.
• So many defeats, so much stress, were wiped away in an instant by the applause of the Senators, who stood to pay tribute to the 'Other Italy'. At that historic moment, my thoughts immediately turned to the millions of my compatriots living abroad, my extended family, the goal of my entire political career. And then my thoughts went to my late, beloved son Marzio, who was the guiding light of my life. I know that I have done my duty to the end and that I have fought my battle out of love for the Other Italy, for my Homeland: I succeeded in winning, following the lead of Marzio, who guided me from Heaven in my most difficult moments, and thanks to the Italians abroad, who defended me with strength and enthusiasm.
• Today, therefore, I can say that Italians living abroad are an integral part of the Italian system, and they have demonstrated, by asserting this through the power of their actions, that they have rights that are in every way identical to those of Italians living in Italy.

Claudio Sabelli Fioretti, Mirko Tremaglia, Corriere Magazine, available on interviste.sabellifioretti.it, 19 October 2006.

• Berlusconi had said that it made no sense for Italians living abroad to vote, because Italians living abroad do not pay taxes. Should we take away the right to vote from tax evaders, since they don't pay tax? Are we going to take away the right to vote from the homeless and the poor?
• Italians living abroad do not pay taxes, but they generate economic activity worth 200 trillion lire for Italy. 60 million people of Italian origin eat Italian products. I have set up an association of Italian entrepreneurs around the world, with a database of 15,000 members. The board is made up of 32 people who generate a turnover of eight billion euros. They are an economic empire.If someone were to write the history of Italy, they would first have to read the 124 volumes of the P2 Commission's report. They cover the entire decline of Italy.
• I don't want to attack Andreotti, for heaven's sake, but how can we forget that in 1978 he handed the state over to the P2 by appointing [Giulio] Grassini, Santovito and [Walter] Pelosi as heads of the secret services? All of them were members of the P2 lodge. These are the same three men who later investigated the Moro kidnapping.
• Andreotti was convicted, not acquitted, of Mafia-related offences that were time-barred. And despite all this, he is being nominated for the position of President of the Senate? A politician who has been suspected, investigated and convicted should not even be a candidate.
• [About Silvio Berlusconi] He never acted like a member of the Pidu [Italian Communist Party]. In all the volumes of the commission, he was never involved in anything.
• We condemned the racial laws. Full stop. If we want to talk about it, we also have to talk about how many Jews were saved by Italians.
• [About the Allied troops after the liberation] I saw Italian girls going with black men, and it was shameful, despicable, because it wasn't an act of love. There were these girls who were hungry, and these men who were taking advantage of them.

Quotes about

• Mirko Tremaglia convinced me. I wanted to run in South America, but instead I found myself in the Europe Division… And anyway, no, I realised that politics is just give and take; there's no sincerity. However, I had some wonderful encounters, such as with the former Belgian miners.

• Rita Pavone, quoted in Bianca Conte, Rita Pavone a "Cuore" aperto: quando Tremaglia mi fece conoscere i minatori in Belgio (VIDEO), Secolo d'Italia.it, 28 May 2017.

• Mirko Tremaglia is a Fascist. And, of course, this is the culture he brings with him to government. A culture that emerges as irresistibly as it is sadly. It's stronger than him: and homophobia is an indelible part of it, just as much as (for example) his attacks on 'perfidious Albion'. There is not much more to say: unfortunately, the picture is clear. The only thing worse than him is the 'raped virgins', who are now screaming, but who have done nothing to support the legalisation of civil partnerships or the rights of homosexual people.

• Daniele Capezzone, quoted in Tremaglia ribadisce: in Europa i culattoni sono in maggioranza, segnalo.it, Rome, 13 October 2004.