Benito, of course, was the name of Italy's World War II fascist dictator Benito Mussolini; Rachele was his wife's name. The MSFT said they are only trying to boost the region's low birth rate by offering money to help new parents and that the names are "nice" and merely a coincidence that they are connected to the former dictator and his wife.
Earlier in the year when Rome elected a neo-fascist mayor, his supporters greeted him with chants of "Il Duce!" - Mussolini's nickname.
Things like these tend to get a bemused shake of the head, but they shouldn't since they are indirectly glorifying one of the Axis leaders from WWII. Can you imagine the outrage there would be if some far-right German party gave cash rewards for parents who named their sons "Adolph" or to men to grow little Hitler moustaches?
Something to think about...
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