Italian Democratic Party councillors' speaking course sparks right‑wing criticism

Councillors of the Democratic Party in Turin attended a stress‑management and public‑speaking workshop organized by a local osteopathy school. The instructor used Benito Mussolini’s posture as an example of a speaker’s stance, stressing that the dictator was not a role model for the party.

The reference was immediately seized upon by Italy’s right‑wing, which portrayed the left‑wing gathering as invoking the fascist figure. The session, aimed at preparing the councillors for the 2025 election campaign, cost €35 per participant and included a role‑play exercise where they imagined a 2027 electoral victory.