Italy’s top story on Wednesday:

Opposition parties called on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to explain to parliament her actions in the case of antifascist writer Antonio Scurati, who was stopped from delivering a planned monologue critical of her and her far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party on state broadcaster Rai at the weekend.

The cancellation followed months of complaints of censorship and government influence at Rai, and Meloni was reportedly asked to explain social media posts in which she criticised Scurati, saying she would never ask for censorship and claiming he had asked for a high fee, which he denies.

The writer said he felt he had been subjected to a form of “violence” by the premier and feared repercussions as she had made him a “target”, news agency Ansa reported.

Lawmakers also called on Meloni to take a “clear” stance on anti-Fascism ahead of Liberation Day on Thursday 25th, an important national holiday marking the insurrection in 1945 that reclaimed several northern cities from Nazi invaders and their Fascist collaborators.

Rome hotel evacuated due to toxic fumes

A four-star hotel in Rome’s city centre was evacuated on Tuesday after guests and staff were exposed to toxic fumes.

The incident at Hotel Barberini at Via Rasella 3 was reportedly traced back to a chlorine leak in the supply room serving the hotel’s spa on one of the lower floors.

Five people were hospitalised with breathing difficulties from chlorine inhalation, while three others with milder symptoms chose to not to seek medical treatment. None of those affected were in a life-threatening condition, according to Italian media reports.

Everyone in the building was evacuated as a precautionary measure and the road directly outside the building temporarily blocked off.

Europe needs migrant workers, says Bank of Italy governor

Bank of Italy Governor Fabio Panetta warned that Europe needs to create legal routes for migrant workers as its population ages if the continent wants to avoid falling behind other major economies, reported Ansa.

Speaking at a lecture at Roma Tre University on Tuesday, Panetta said Europe risked seeing “a sharp drop in the labour supply in the coming years and, therefore, in the European economy’s potential growth.”

“This is why a significant effort is needed to allow the regular, controlled entry of immigrants and their integration into the labour market.”

Panetta also called on European countries to move away from a growth strategy based on exports and seek “a true economic and monetary union, with closer integration in both financial and fiscal terms.”

Police clash with protestors in Turin

Around 50 pro-Palestine protestors clashed with police on Tuesday as they attempted to breach a police cordon to enter a scientific and agricultural conference where several government ministers were present.

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, Universities Minister Anna Maria Bernini and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida were among those in attendance at the Conference of Scientific and Space Attachés and Agricultural Experts 2024.

The protest was part of a coordinated action demanding that Italian universities to cut ties with Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, according to Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper. A banner at the head of the procession read “Zionists out of the university: Bernini, Tajani, Lollobrigida we don’t want you”.

Around ten activists reportedly succeeded in gaining access to the space where the event was held, though not until after the ministers had left. Seven police officers suffered mild injuries and 30 protestors were identified and reported.