Italy's defense minister paid homage to pro-Nazi troops yesterday, the second senior conservative in two days to voice sympathy with fascism.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa was speaking at an event marking the anniversary of Rome's resistance to Nazi occupation in 1943.

Rome's mayor, former neo-Nazi youth leader Gianni Alemanno, caused controversy on Sunday by saying he "does not and never has" considered fascism to be "absolute evil",