As New Zealanders marked Anzac Day, Italians commemorated 80 years since the country was liberated from fascism. Have celebrations changed in the shadow of Italy’s first postwar far-right government? Nina Hall writes from Bologna.
For Italians, April 25 is very different to New Zealand’s Anzac Day. It’s the day to commemorate the end of the second world war, and all those who died fighting for Italian democracy. On April 25, 1945, Italy was liberated from two decades of fascism. Mussolini took power in 1922 by literally marching on Rome, with no elected authority. He was finally forced from power in the middle of the war, by the top leadership of his own fascist party. Immediately afterwards the Nazis occupied Italy.
The second world war eventually ended in Italy thanks to the combined efforts of allied forces – which included Americans, Brits, Australians, Canadians and many New Zealanders, including the Māori battalion – together with the local “partigiani”, the partisans. The allied forces landed in Sicily and moved inexorably north, taking Naples, Rome and then Florence. The allies got stuck fighting the Nazi forces in the remote Apennine mountains which stretch between Florence and Bologna. (You can visit one of the largest German war cemeteries there.)
In the northern regions, the partisans fought the Nazis from within. During this time, the Nazis committed some of their worst atrocities against Italian civilians, including in areas just outside Bologna, where I live. In the small town of Marzabotto, for instance, the Nazis killed more than 700 civilians – many women and children.
So what does April 25 mean for Italians today? Like Anzac Day, it’s a national holiday and commemorated in small and big towns alike with ceremonies to honour those who fought against the fascist forces for the liberation of Italy. The story, however, is a little more complicated given many Italians also fought on the side of fascism, under Mussolini’s rule, and also during the Nazi occupation.
April 25 celebrations are even more contested this year given the election of Trump and Meloni. Italy’s prime minister, Georgia Meloni, leads Italy’s first far-right government in the postwar period. While she does not claim to be fascist, her party, Fratelli dell’Italia (“Brothers of Italy”, from the Italian anthem), is an offshoot of a neo-fascist party created in the aftermath of the second world war. The party is driven by a strong nationalist, nativist ideology and is critical of how some commemorate April 25 – like in Bologna, where street posters declare “proud to be anti-fascist”.
Moreover, Meloni is trying to forge strong ties with US president Donald Trump. She was the only major European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January, and just last week she met with him in the White House on a state visit. US deputy president JD Vance followed her back to Rome for a state visit, and was one of last dignitaries to see the pope before he died. Elon Musk is also a fan of Meloni, and there were gossipy, albeit unproved, rumours in the Italian press that Musk was romantically interested in Meloni (who is currently single after kicking out her partner 18 months ago).
Meloni has used the opportunity of the pope’s death to declare an unprecedented five days of national mourning across all of Italy (past popes have received two to three days of national mourning). This conveniently put April 25 within the time period of “lutto nazionale” (national grieving) under which her government has called for “sobriety” across Italy and for public demonstrations to be restrained. Some have inferred that Meloni is trying to silence Liberation Day, and weaken the resistance to her own government. Meanwhile, former Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni has emphasised that April 25 should be a day of “democratic patriotism” and not one of “nationalist” patriotism, as he implied the Meloni government prefers.
I was in Bologna for April 25. The city is commonly known as “Bologna la Rossa” (Red Bologna) for its long history of electing leftist leaders, and its strong connection to the partisan movement. The city and the region, Emilia Romagna, is led by the Partito Democratico (PD), which is the leading opposition party to Meloni’s government. Bologna is also a student city – it has the oldest university in the world – and is known for its activist culture. Bologna’s inhabitants were never likely to tone down their celebrations as Meloni has requested.
On Easter Monday (April 21), the day that Bologna was liberated by Polish soldiers, the national association of partisans of Italy (ANPI) handed out posters in the main piazza declaring “Italy resists”. ANPI has declared that “it is time for resistance, a conscious, peaceful, collective resistance”. They elaborated that “25 April 2025 will not just be a celebration, but a popular feast and civic commitment, in the name of those who built freedom 80 years ago with courage and hope. Because today, as then, freedom must be defended every day.” The mood on the city streets is often one of active battle against the Meloni government, especially in the university quarters.
The city is currently decorated with large photos of partisan leaders hanging in the “porte”, the large brick gates that serve as entries into the city. Dozens of events were organised in the lead-up to April 25: trekking trips in the Apennines to rewalk the sites where partisans were killed; theatre and public discussions about the resistance; and documentary screenings of partisan stories. On April 25, most commemorations were concentrated around the main town square and Via Pratello, but others headed up into the hills to Monte Sole. There were a series of official commemorations, attended by Bologna’s mayor and the Emilia Romagna governor and other dignitaries, although Bologna’s bicycling bishop Zuppi was in Rome for the conclave to choose the new pope.
The day was festive and inclusive: a children’s choir singing partisans’ songs followed by a commemoration of all the LGBTQ victims of fascism. And what was I doing? I attended the commemorations in Piazza Maggiore, then Pratello where I joined my local swing dancing school, who took to the streets of Bologna to dance. For me, April 25 is an important moment not just for those living here, but for everyone to reflect on how fascism can end and democracy return.
