Watch: MPs Exchange Blows in Italian Parliament Over New Bill

As Italy welcomed world leaders for the annual G7 Summit in Puglia, a heated debate erupted in the Italian Parliament on Wednesday over a controversial bill seeking to grant greater autonomy to certain regions. The incident, captured on video and widely shared online, showed lawmakers engaging in a physical fight.

The proposed legislation aims to provide specific regions with more control over their finances, administration, and education systems. Proponents argue that such measures are necessary to enhance local governance and efficiency, fostering innovation and economic growth. However, opponents warn that it would exacerbate the north-south divide and bring more hardship to the impoverished southern regions.

What happened in the Italian Parliament?

Tensions reached a boiling point when opposition party member Leonardo Donno attempted to hand an Italian flag to Minister Roberto Calderoli. The video shows Calderoli rejecting the tricolour flag, sparking a physical altercation. Within seconds, other lawmakers in the lower chamber joined the fray, shoving one another and throwing punches.

Hours after the video went viral, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed regret over the incident, saying, “We need to set another example, not punches to resolve political problems,” he told Italy’s Sky TG24 news channel.

The clash in Parliament overshadowed the G7 Summit, which runs from Thursday through Saturday, bringing global attention to Italy’s internal political strife. The summit sees leaders from the European Union and six other nations, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, convening to discuss critical global issues. The timing of the altercation underscores the urgency and contentious nature of the regional autonomy debate in Italy.