Dictator's Granddaughter Sinks Far-Right Euro Bloc

The collapse of a far-right party yesterday drew cheers in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Deutsche Welle reports. The final straw in the collapse of the Identity, Tradition, and Sovereignty group came after Alessandra Mussolini—granddaughter of the former dictator—described Romanians as "habitual lawbreakers," prompting Romanian members to quit and leave ITS without enough seats to be recognized officially.

One member of parliament, no fan of the xenophobic party that often antagonized and disrupted the European government, said ITS members "were united only by hatred. … It was only a matter of time before they succumbed to a hatred of each other as well." ITS considered expelling Mussolini, but, a source said, her publicity value outweighed her poor judgment. (More European Union stories.)