« Discours du 30 mai 1924 à la Chambre des députés. Contre la validation de l’élection des députés de la majorité ». Traduction et édition critique par Agnese Pignataro

Abstract

A French translation is presented here of the last parliamentary speech of Giacomo Matteotti, secretary of the Unitary Socialist Party, which he delivered on 30 May 1924, a few days before his assassination by fascist henchmen. In April of that year, legislative elections were held in Italy. They marked the triumph of Fascism thanks to the large majority bonus guaranteed by the Acerbo law, as well as fraud, intimidation and violence. On 30 May, in the Chamber of Deputies, the opposition refused to validate the election of the majority MPs. In this context, Matteotti took the floor to denounce irregularities by presenting a long and detailed review of the deceptions carried out by the fascists before, during and after the elections. The speech was delivered in an atmosphere of great tension amid continuous interruptions, shouts, noises and insults. It ends with a call for the nullification of the elections and a vibrant appeal for the protection of democratic institutions and the free sovereignty of the Italian people.

Keywords

• Fascism
• Mussolini (Benito)
• Matteotti (Giacomo)
• Socialism
• Italian Parliament
• Socialist Party