Placebo lead singer faces trial over branding Italian Premier as ‘fascist’

(MENAFN) Brian Molko, lead singer of the rock band Placebo, has been charged with defamation by the Italian government for calling Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a "fascist." Meloni, leader of the national-conservative Brothers of Italy Party, filed the lawsuit over comments Molko made in 2023 during a performance at the Sonic Park music festival near Turin. In his remarks, Molko labeled Meloni a "fascist, racist" and "piece of s**t," leading to a legal investigation by prosecutors in August 2023.

The Justice Ministry of Italy has authorized legal proceedings against Molko, who now faces a fine and a trial summons. Under Italian law, defaming the government, parliament, or judiciary can result in fines up to €5,000 ($5,200). Although defamation carries a potential prison sentence of up to three years, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Carlo Nordio indicated that Molko is unlikely to face imprisonment.

Molko made his comments to a crowd of 5,000 during the 2023 festival, a year after Meloni’s party won the 2022 elections. Meloni’s anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ views have drawn criticism from both the Italian opposition and European leaders. This is not the first defamation lawsuit Meloni has initiated—last year, she won a case against a journalist who was fined €5,000 for mocking her, and writer Roberto Saviano was fined €1,000 for calling her a "bastard" over her stance on immigration.

MENAFN20022025000045015687ID1109229463