Italy’s far-right Lega leader Matteo Salvini’s remarks over the Russian elections, saying “when people vote, they are always right”, has caused turmoil in the right-wing coalition government, with many estimating that Lega is struggling to find its political space in the coalition’s balance of power after the EU elections in June.
The link between Lega and Vladimir Putin’s party is the subject of constant criticism. While Salvini distanced himself from the Russian president after the start of the war in Ukraine, it was not enough to truly scupper relations with Moscow.
“In Russia they voted, we take note. When people vote they are always right, elections are always good both when one wins them and when one loses them,” Salvini commented on the victory of Vladimir Putin in the Russian elections which the West slammed.
“When I lose them, I try to understand where I went wrong and how to do better next time. We take note of Russian citizens’ vote, hoping that 2024 will be the year of peace”, he added.
Lega is part of a coalition government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia—ECR) and centre-right Forza Italia. Foreign Minister from Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, reacted, saying Salvini’s remarks do not affect the government’s cohesion.
“Each political force has positions that may be different, but there is no substantial divergence: Parliament is what counts, we have always voted in the same way, and the centre-right is cohesive,” Tajani told Radio 24.
“The elections [in Russia] were characterised by strong and even violent pressure. Navalny was excluded from these elections with murder, we saw images of soldiers in the ballot box. It does not seem to me that it is an election that respects the criteria we respect”, Tajani said earlier.
Since it joined the right-wing government, Salvini’s Lega has been facing challenges in polls and is now competing with Forza Italia to get at least 10% in the upcoming EU elections.
On the other hand, Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia seems to be attracting more and more right-wing voters.
If Lega’s results are low, it might lose influence and power in the coalition government.
“I am convinced that we will have at least a double figure”, says Salvini, who does not hide his goal of overtaking former premier Giuseppe Conte’s 5-Star Movement.
“Either we win or it’s a problem”, he recently said.
EU, US elections widen Italy’s Meloni-Salvini ideological rift
The ideological gap between Italian PM and Fratelli d’Italia leader Giorgia Meloni (ECR) and her coalition partner Lega leader Matteo Salvini (ID) continues to widen, notably over their global allegiances and the EU elections.
Bickering over Ursula von der Leyen, EU alliances
A thorny issue in Italy’s coalition government is the support for a second term for Ursula von der Leyen who comes from the same EU political family (EPP) as Forza Italia and also reportedly enjoys the support of Meloni.
Unlike his right-wing coalition partners, Salvini opposes a second term for Ursula von der Leyen at the EU Commission’s helm.
“To think that Europe’s disasters can be remedied by Von der Leyen, the co-leader of these disasters, is like telling someone with diabetes ‘eat the candyfloss that is good for you’. It cannot be the system that created the problem that solves it, it is obvious”, Salvini said.
Lega’s leader also calls on his allies not to support von der Leyen and work to have a right-wing majority in Brussels, where he hopes his group, Identity and Democracy (ID), could be relevant.
Salvini has repeatedly opposed a left-wing majority in the next EU Parliament, claiming that the EU centre-right should look for majorities on the right.
“If someone from the centre-right prefers the armchair, political correctness and compromise with the socialists over a united centre-right, it will not spite Salvini or the Lega, but will harm Italy”, the Lega leader added, stressing that between Macron (Renew) and Le Pen (ID), he will always choose the latter.
For its part, the EPP in Brussels has ruled out any collaboration with the far right, such as Marine Le Pen’s party, but is open to the “healthy elements” that will back the EU centre-right red lines: pro-EU, pro-Ukraine, pro-Rule of Law.
Read more: EPP eyes socialists, liberals for pro-EU coalition as Breton questions von der Leyen
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it – Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv.com)
Read more with Euractiv
Bulgarian cabinet rotation falls, snap election loomsAfter less than a year with a regular government, Bulgaria is once again entering a spiral of political instability after the two largest formations in the parliament – Boyko Borissov’s centre-right GERB (EPP) and the centrist We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) – failed to agreeon forming a government.
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Source: euractiv.com
