Italian MP proposes during earthquake aid debate in parliament

Flavio Di Muro gets applause for marriage proposal – and reprimand from Speaker

An Italian MP has asked his girlfriend to marry him during a parliamentary debate on post-earthquake reconstruction.

Flavio Di Muro, 33, a member of the far-right party the League, made the proposal on Thursday as MPs prepared to vote on measures to assist central Italian regions struck by earthquakes in 2016.

“We, men of the institutions, are busy every day with national emergencies,” said Di Muro after being granted permission to address the chamber of deputies. “Every day we are busy with political debates. And we often neglect the true values, we neglect the people who care for us, we neglect those we love.”

“You see, today is a special day for me. Elisa, will you marry me?” the MP asked, producing the ring while looking at his partner, Elisa De Leo, as she watched on from the public gallery above.

The proposal was followed by applause from the deputies.

However, the Speaker of the chamber and member of the Five Star Movement, Roberto Fico, was less enthusiastic and reprimanded Di Muro.

“I understand this,” Fico said, “however, I don’t think it’s appropriate to use an intervention for this.”

At first it was unclear whether Elisa had accepted, but later, after the vote, Di Muro, reached by the press agency Vista, said: “She said yes.”

“We are going to get married, but we haven’t decided the date yet,” he added

It is not the first time that an MP has made a wedding proposal in a parliament.

In 2017, Australian Liberal MP Tim Wilson proposed to his partner during his speech on marriage equality in the House of Representatives. “There’s only one thing left to do: Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?’ said Wilson looking at his partner, seated in the gallery. The two were married three months after.