De Angelis, a former rightist militant, also received flak over one of his ‘identity’ rock band 270bis’ songs including lyrics claiming Jews are a “merchant race” and over a December 21 social media post of a candelabrum allegedly echoing Nazi war criminal Heinrich Himmler’s greetings to the winter solstice.
De Angelis, who until now has been spokesman for rightwing Lazio Governor Francesco Rocca, faced calls to quit from the centre left and left-wing opposition.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also urged to distance herself from his statements.
In a statement, Rocco said he had accepted De Angelis’ resignation and thanked him for his services.
“I acknowledge the resignation of Marcello De Angelis. I thank him for the precious work he has done so far and for the sense of responsibility he has shown,” Rocca said.
The governor strongly defended his former employee.
“... he has my gratitude for having protected the institution I preside over from the unacceptable exploitation of these weeks, paying the price for a song written 45 years ago and with respect to which he has expressed all his embarrassment and horror.”
Rocca said he “can personally testify to the evolution of De Angelis’ personality”.
“[His has been a] path of maturation, self-awareness and inner transformation.
“Surely all this cannot erase his past, but he has shaped and will continue to shape his present and his future.”
While De Angelis acknowledged and apologised for expressing himself “inappropriately” in comments he made on the Bologna bombing anniversary, he reserved the right to doubt and dissent when and where he sees fit, and said his resignation was not in regards to those comments.
“The only thing I feel shamefully responsible for is having composed in the past the lyrics of a song that I consider a senseless message of hatred towards human beings without fault, many of whom are now my friends, colleagues, neighbours, people I love, people I appreciate and admire, and even my family members.
“I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for this and I don’t expect anyone else to.
“I cannot allow my past responsibilities to tarnish or cloud the extraordinary work that so many better people than me are doing for the common good.”
Leader of the Democratic Party (PD), Elly Schlein, said the resignation was well overdue.
“We feel like saying: ‘Finally!” she said in a statement.
“We have been asking for his resignation since his first, very serious statements on the Bologna massacre that deny sentences that attest to the truth. It is certain that it was a fascist massacre.”
ANSA
