“I will do whatever is necessary within my sphere of competence [to clarify the situation]”, Lollobrigida told reporters on the sidelines of a Coldiretti Forum in Rome.
“I have never shied away from confrontation,” he continued.
“I am convinced I acted not only within the law and in respect of the rules but in the interest of the State in order to represent it in Caivano,” said Lollobrigida, adding that he “will not resign”.
Lollobrigida found himself at the centre of a political storm on Wednesday after Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that he had got on the Turin-Salerno Frecciarossa at Rome’s Termini station, but then made it make an unscheduled stop at nearby Ciampino in order to continue the journey by car.
Lollobrigida’s reasoning for this was that the train was running 111 minutes late.
Opposition parties called for Lollobrigida’s resignation, with the leftwing populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader and former PM Giuseppe Conte saying his conduct “sends a devastating signal”.
Più Europa (More Europe) leader Riccardo Magi insisted that “if it’s true that Lollobrigida got a train to stop for his own convenience then he must explain himself in parliament”, and Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein describing the behaviour as “arrogant and indecent”.
However, the minister’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party backed Lollobrigida’s claim that other passengers were not negatively impacted, with the claim also being confirmed by Trenitalia.
ANSA
