In a recent twist in Canadian politics, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, bid farewell to his post. A gesture which, it seems, will not be enough to make us forget the play that was this controversy, which kept Canada on the edge of its seat and even caused a sensation abroad.
It all began when Rota and the government played the warm host by inviting parliament to applaud a World War II veteran "fighting for Ukrainian independence against Russia", Yaroslav Hunka, during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A seemingly innocuous invitation, bearing in mind that fighting the Russians in the Second World War often meant being a Nazi, and that the SS division of which Hunka was a member was involved in atrocious acts of violence. The affair triggered an avalanche of criticism, calls for Rota's resignation and even diplomatic moves on the part of Poland, which seems keen to get the veteran back, despite the fact that he is 98 years old. Rota's resignation, under the spotlight of this incredible saga, will not put an end to this story, which is making waves and reminds us that sometimes, reality far exceeds fiction.
