Watch: Italian deputy speaker shuts down MP over repeated 'Mr President' remark
Italian MP Emanuele Pozzolo repeatedly called Deputy Speaker Anna Ascani "Mr President," prompting a sharp response and a heated Parliament clash.
A disagreement over how to address the Chair escalated into a fiery confrontation between conservative MP Emanuele Pozzolo and Deputy Speaker Anna Ascani in Italy's Parliament, after Pozzolo repeatedly referred to her as ‘Mr President.’
The incident unfolded during a parliamentary session when Emanuele Pozzolo, a conservative MP, addressed Ascani as ‘Mr President’ instead of ‘Madam President’ while speaking from the floor.
After hearing the incorrect form of address for the third time, Ascani interrupted the proceedings to make a polite request.
"Colleague, excuse me. Since this is the third time I've heard it, if you use 'Mr', say 'Madam President'; otherwise, just 'President' is fine," she said.
Rather than correcting himself, Pozzolo immediately replied, "Thank you, Mr President," prompting visible disbelief in the chamber.
Ascani responded with a sharp but measured comeback.
"Thank you, fellow female MP Pozzolo. Please continue, thank you," she said, deliberately using the feminine form while referring to the male lawmaker.
The remark appeared to infuriate Pozzolo, who objected loudly.
"You can't behave like that," he protested before insisting he was merely using what he considered the proper institutional terminology. He later added, "If you're enjoying yourself, Mr President, then we're both enjoying ourselves," and argued that Ascani should respect an MP who uses "the proper institutional terms."
As the exchange grew increasingly heated, Ascani repeatedly called the chamber to order.
Watch the video here:
"Colleague, I call you to order. You cannot behave like that," she said, before issuing him another warning. She also instructed him to continue his speech and cautioned him, "Never again address the Chair this way after it simply asked you for a courtesy. Review your institutional language, or I'll have you removed from the Chamber."
The clip has since spread widely across social media, with many praising Ascani's calm handling of the confrontation.
Several users described her response as a clever way of highlighting what they saw as the inconsistency in Pozzolo's objection, while others viewed the exchange as another example of the challenges women in public office continue to face when asserting authority in political spaces.
A disagreement over how to address the Chair escalated into a fiery confrontation between conservative MP Emanuele Pozzolo and Deputy Speaker Anna Ascani in Italy's Parliament, after Pozzolo repeatedly referred to her as ‘Mr President.’
The incident unfolded during a parliamentary session when Emanuele Pozzolo, a conservative MP, addressed Ascani as ‘Mr President’ instead of ‘Madam President’ while speaking from the floor.
After hearing the incorrect form of address for the third time, Ascani interrupted the proceedings to make a polite request.
"Colleague, excuse me. Since this is the third time I've heard it, if you use 'Mr', say 'Madam President'; otherwise, just 'President' is fine," she said.
Rather than correcting himself, Pozzolo immediately replied, "Thank you, Mr President," prompting visible disbelief in the chamber.
Ascani responded with a sharp but measured comeback.
"Thank you, fellow female MP Pozzolo. Please continue, thank you," she said, deliberately using the feminine form while referring to the male lawmaker.
The remark appeared to infuriate Pozzolo, who objected loudly.
"You can't behave like that," he protested before insisting he was merely using what he considered the proper institutional terminology. He later added, "If you're enjoying yourself, Mr President, then we're both enjoying ourselves," and argued that Ascani should respect an MP who uses "the proper institutional terms."
As the exchange grew increasingly heated, Ascani repeatedly called the chamber to order.
Watch the video here:
"Colleague, I call you to order. You cannot behave like that," she said, before issuing him another warning. She also instructed him to continue his speech and cautioned him, "Never again address the Chair this way after it simply asked you for a courtesy. Review your institutional language, or I'll have you removed from the Chamber."
The clip has since spread widely across social media, with many praising Ascani's calm handling of the confrontation.
Several users described her response as a clever way of highlighting what they saw as the inconsistency in Pozzolo's objection, while others viewed the exchange as another example of the challenges women in public office continue to face when asserting authority in political spaces.
