In yet another erratic development in Italian party politics, a veteran of both politics and adult entertainment has engaged in a heated row with the dominant political movement in Rome after seeing MP pensions cut.
Italy’s most famous adult film celebrity, Ilona Staller, launched a new political party on Friday, pledging to fight the governing Five Star Movement.
The 68-year old, who quit porn long ago, said that she was disgusted by Italy’s leading party for reducing her – and millions others’ – pensions.
Staller will again campaign as the head of the Democracy, Nature and Love party, a platform to oppose the Five Star Movement’s MP pension cuts, The Times reports.
The majority populists, embedded in coalition governments since 2018, have slashed MP pensions by €1,000 annually. Staller branded the cut “unconstitutional” and is calling for the wages of the lawmakers to take a similar hit.
In 2011, the former successful politician and adult actress in an estimated 40 pornographic movies looked to receive a €39,000 (£34,000) annual pension, as a reward for serving in parliament for five years, between 1987-1992.
The Hungarian-born former adult film actress made a name for herself in the 1980s before forging a successful career in politics, initially as a member of the Greens. She took the nickname La Cicciolina, meaning “little tubby one”, and was known for posing topless at rallies during her first election campaign in 1987.
She was elected as a Radical Party MP and campaigned for populist causes including allowing prisoners to have sex with visiting partners and attempting to bring peace with Iraq by offering to sleep with then-leader Saddam Hussein.
Staller continued to make adult films during her stint in politics, before leaving the Radical Party in 1991, establishing her own party four years later – the Party of Love – along with another adult actor.
Italy is not due to return to the polls until 2023, and the ruling Five Star/Democratic Party coalition maintains a precarious grip on power.
The Five Star party, founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, entered into the current formation in late 2019 after a previous coalition with the Euroskeptic Northern League fell apart.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
