Large Mussolini-style posters in Rome and Milan linking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to fascism have provoked a political dispute and boosted Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva on social media. One billboard reading "When he was around, trains arrived late" was removed after station advertisers called it "detrimental" to the railway, while other posters remain. The ads form part of a fundraising drive asking taxpayers to allocate 0.2% of their income tax to Italia Viva. Meloni said she was not upset and congratulated Renzi; the state railway said it received no government complaints.
Mussolini-Style Posters Linking Meloni to Fascism Ignite Political Row — Boost for Renzi's Italia Viva
People walk past an advertisement, commissioned by Italia Viva at Roma Termini railway station, referring to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reading in English, "When she was around, young people were leaving Italy" and featuring imagery and typography reminiscent of Italian fascist-era propaganda from the 1930s, in Rome, Italy, May 22, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
ROME, May 22 (Reuters) - Large posters displayed in major Italian train stations that evoke 1930s fascist propaganda and link Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Benito Mussolini have triggered a political dispute and generated heightened social media attention for a small rival party.
The campaign's graphics use period typography and the slogan "When he was around ..." — a phrase Mussolini admirers sometimes invoke to suggest public services once ran more smoothly. One billboard in Rome and Milan bluntly read:
"When he was around, trains arrived late."That poster was later removed after the company handling station advertising said the message was "detrimental" to the railway's reputation.
Other posters in the series, which mock government performance on taxes, inflation and opportunities for young people, remain on display. The ads are part of a fundraising appeal by former prime minister Matteo Renzi's small opposition party, Italia Viva, which asks taxpayers to allocate 0.2% of their annual income tax to the party.
People walk past an advertisement, commissioned by Italia Viva at Roma Termini railway station, referring to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reading in English, "When she was around, Italy was less safe" and featuring imagery and typography reminiscent of Italian fascist-era propaganda from the 1930s, in Rome, Italy, May 22, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
Consumer group Altroconsumo noted that more than one in five high-speed trains were delayed last year — a statistic the campaign referenced. Italia Viva's social media posts accusing the government of censorship have drawn thousands of views and dozens of comments, raising the party's visibility; it currently polls at around 2.5%.
The campaign also draws on Ms. Meloni's political origins: she leads Brothers of Italy, a party that traces its roots to the post-World War Two Italian Social Movement (MSI), and she began her political career in the MSI youth wing.
State rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato said it had not received any complaints from the government about the posters. La Stampa published a letter from Meloni in which she denied being angered by the campaign and said she had congratulated Renzi on the idea. Renzi said he hoped the party would be allowed to continue its campaign — including the billboard about late trains — "without any censorship."
Context
The episode highlights how provocative political advertising can amplify the profile of smaller parties on social media and fuel public debate about historical memory, censorship and political advertising rules in Italy.
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