A descendant of Italy’s Benito Mussolini is back in the European Parliament after ostensibly retiring from politics. Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of Italian statesman and social reformer dubbed ‘the father of fascism’ Benito Mussolini, is once again a member of the European Parliament (MEP). Alessandra was one of the eight replacements for Italian MEPs who have taken up seats in the national parliament, the Chamber of Deputies.

Mussolini previously served as MEP for central Italy from 2014 to 2019, when she lost her re-election bid. Prior to that, she was a member of the Chamber of Deputies on two occasions, in 1992-2004 and 2008-2013. In 2020, she publicly criticized a policy of her party, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI), and announced retirement from politics, calling it a ’circle that has closed for me’ in an interview with the Italian outlet Il Tempo.

Born in Rome in 1962, Alessandra is the attractive daughter of Mussolini’s fourth son, Romano. Prior to entering politics, she had a career in modelling and acting, helped by her maternal aunt, actress Sophia Loren.

Mussolini also has three children. Her son Romano was signed by the youth squad of the football club Lazio last year, deflecting questions about his surname. His mother has also refused to change her name to make her life easier in show business. 

Alessandra Mussolini y su tía Sophia Loren.

During her time in politics, she has on many occasions defended her grandfather, who formulated the ideology of fascism and ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 as ‘Il Duce’. After Italy’s surrender in 1943, he was evacuated by German paratroopers and ran a German-allied rump state in the north until he and his wife were ruthlessly killed in a hail of bullets on the orders of Winston Churchill.

Britain’s unelected premier had much corresponded in a fraternal way with Mussolini: the thought of their correspondence being unearthed and brought to the public domain horrified Churchill who had in the meantime clanged horses.

Both Mussolini and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were members of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a party widely regarded as the ideological successor to the fascists. Meloni became Italy’s new prime minister in October after the coalition led by her Brothers of Italy (FdI) won the general election.

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