The left-wing politicians in question denied having received funding from organizations with ties to George Soros. The Adnkronos news agency was the first to publish the news that George Soros sponsored the campaign of Italian left-wing parties with millions of euros. The news went viral in the most important media outlets within a few hours. According to press reports, Soros's Open Society Foundations granted substantial sums, among others, to the Alliance of the Greens and the Italian Left. This is the party that has nominated far-left activist Ilaria Salis, who is held in prison in Budapest, on its list in the European Parliament elections and is campaigning for her release.
However, neither Nicola Fratoianni, the Italian Left's secretary, nor any other party member disclosed any information about the funding. According to the source, significant payments have also been made to the accounts of a number of left-wing politicians, including the left-wing ministers under former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and politicians close to Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein.
News reports say that the non-profit organization Agenda, founded in 2022 by left-wing politicians Rachele Scarpa, Sofia Di Patrizi and Caterina Cerroni, has received one million and seventy-five thousand euros from the organization Democracy & Pluralism with links to Soros.
The donors include Jessica Shearer, who previously played a prominent role in Barack Obama's campaign. The organizations of the 94-year-old American philanthropist can be found behind many generous donations. Several Italian left-wing politicians are also named in the article.
However, when contacted by Adnkronos, those concerned declined to comment. Reacting to the news, the non-profit organization Agenda issued a brief statement, denying that they have received funding from groups close to the US billionaire. The news reports also reveal that not only members of the Democratic Party led by Schlein, but also the Alliance of the Greens and the Italian Left campaigning to free Ilaria Salis have received substantial funding from abroad. According to the press source, Nicola Fratoianni and his colleague Ilaria Cucchi received a total of 150,729 euros during the 2022 election campaign.
The figures speak for themselves and prove that George Soros and the left are trying to influence Italian politics through funding,
said Giovanni Donizelli, MP of the governing Bothers of Italy, as the first to comment.