Giuseppe Conte, the former Prime Minister of Italy and longtime figurehead of the opposition Five Star Movement, was involved in a confrontation during a visit to Massa. He was briefly punched by a man who accused the politician of enforcing very strict epidemic restrictions, a claim that surfaced in reports from SkyTg24. The incident drew wide attention as Conte remains a central voice in the political dialogue surrounding public health measures and governance in Italy.
Conte arrived in Massa on 5 May to participate in a rally tied to the upcoming administrative elections in the Tuscany region. During a moment when local residents gathered, an activist associated with anti vaccination sentiment approached the former premier, shook hands in what appeared to be a cordial gesture, but then delivered a forceful slap to Conte and launched a verbal critique of the lockdown and social restrictions that had been debated across the country. The confrontation was interrupted by bystanders, and the assailant was quickly detained by witnesses before being handed over to police authorities. Conte continued his address to the crowd without sign of interruption and shortly after resumed his itinerary, moving on to the city of Pisa to continue campaign engagements.
The assailant was identified as Giulio Milani, a 52-year-old candidate in the Massa municipal elections, according to reports from SkyTg24. The incident prompted immediate police action and sparked discussions about public safety at political events in the running for local government seats.
In a related line of reporting, earlier local tensions had spilled into other regions when a resident of a nearby French commune was noted for throwing eggs at a competing national candidate, illustrating the charged atmosphere surrounding political campaigns in the period leading up to the elections. The broader context underscores the heightened scrutiny of public figures and the intense climate that accompanies modern electoral contests across Europe.