Bossi to escape anthem slur case, Italy

2008-08-06

Bossi, whose Northern League party wants devolution of powers to the regions, was speaking at a Veneto League congress on July 20 when he hit out at a line in the anthem which appears to say Italy is Rome's slave. ''Never again slaves to Rome,'' the minister said, raising his middle finger...

In 2001 he received a suspended prison sentence of one year and four months for insulting the Italian flag at a July 1997 rally near Como... he told a woman who was flying a flag from her balcony to ''shove that down the toilet''...

No stranger to polemics, he once opened an unofficial 'northern parliament' and has played media stunts such as a mystical journey along the Po in search of northern Italy's 'Celtic roots'.

Bossi is a tad crude, but at least he's fighting against immigration and for greater autonomy of his Padania region. Celtic roots? There does seem to be some white Italians among his party.