Mattarella Receives Standing Ovation at Lower House

Rome: Italian President Sergio Mattarella received a lengthy standing ovation at the Lower House on Monday following expressions of solidarity from Democratic Party (PD) whip Chiara Braga amidst accusations from Russia.

According to Ansa News Agency, Braga’s show of “solidarity” towards President Mattarella led all lawmakers to rise and applaud him for approximately two minutes. The gesture was in response to comments made by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Zakharova criticized Mattarella for his remarks at the University of Marseilles earlier this month, where he compared Moscow’s actions in Ukraine to those of Nazi Germany.

Zakharova, speaking on Russian State TV and quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti, stated that such comparisons “will not go without consequences.” She accused Mattarella of equating Russia with the Third Reich during his lecture, a statement she described as featuring “blasphemous inventions.”

In response to the accusations, sources from the president’s office expressed that Mattarella remains calm and urged people to refer to the actual text of his speech for clarity. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni also weighed in, stating that the attacks on Mattarella are an affront to the entire nation that he represents.