As the William Faulkner adage goes: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Today, the name Mussolini is once again making headlines in Italy. Rachele Mussolini, granddaughter of the fascist dictator Benito, has announced that she is leaving Giorgia Meloni’s governing Brothers of Italy party.

Mussolini, a councillor in Rome, is joining the more moderate Forza Italia. She said: “It is time to turn the page and join a party that I feel is closer to my moderate and centrist sensibilities.” These moderate sensibilities were on view recently when Mussolini got into a spat with Meloni over the gender of the Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. “Until proven otherwise Imane Khelif is a woman. And she has suffered an unworthy witch hunt,” Mussolini said. It may suit Meloni to rid her party of a remaining Mussolini…