Le recteur de l'Université pour étrangers de Siena, Tomaso Montanari, a provoqué une tempête politique en qualifiant de "bandits" des membres du gouvernement, déclenchant des menaces de poursuites judiciaires.Breaking News, International, Policy, Constitution, Giorgia Meloni, government, Ignazio La Russa, Italy, rector, referendum, Siena, Tomaso Montanari, université, AFE PACKAGE, newsLe recteur de l'Université pour étrangers de Siena, Tomaso Montanari, a provoqué une tempête politique en qualifiant de "bandits" des membres du gouvernement...
A large-scale political controversy is currently shaking Italy, highlighting tensions between academia and the government. Tomaso Montanari, rector of the University for Foreigners of Siena, finds himself at the heart of a controversy after statements deemed defamatory by several leading political figures.
During a congress organized in Florence on Thursday March 5, 2026, Montanari participated in a civil society event opposed to a constitutional referendum. It was in this context that he uttered particularly harsh words against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and several members of her government.
The rector notably declared: “Would you buy a Constitution worn out and manipulated by these bandits?” making explicit reference to Meloni, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. This formulation immediately sparked outraged reactions in government circles.
Ignazio La Russa, second figure in the Italian state, reacted firmly by sending an ultimatum to the rector. He demands a public apology under penalty of legal action for defamation. This threat to resort to legal means illustrates the seriousness with which the political authorities perceive these accusations.
Montanari, far from retracting, maintained his positions by affirming that government reactions demonstrated their nervousness in the face of the referendum campaign. According to him, this virulence can be explained by the unfavorable position of the government in the polls concerning the constitutional referendum.
This affair goes beyond the simple verbal exchange to touch on fundamental questions about the freedom of expression of academics and the limits of acceptable political discourse. It comes in a context of intense national debate on the constitutional reforms proposed by the Meloni government.
The implications of this controversy are multiple. On the one hand, it raises the question of the independence of university institutions from political power. On the other, it reveals the deep fractures that run through Italian society on constitutional questions and the very nature of democracy.
The evolution of this affair will be decisive for relations between the government and the Italian academic world. It could also influence the political climate in the run-up to the referendum, by crystallizing oppositions and redefining the traditional fault lines of transalpine political life.
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