Italy’s Leader Vows to ‘Save Europe’ From Globalism
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini reveals his populist government's goals
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Italy's populist leader Matteo Salvini has vowed to "save Europe" from globalism as he reveals his government's plans to push back against the European Union.
Speaking during a press conference this week at Lega’s historic headquarters at Via Bellerio 41 in Milan, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Salvinidecalred that the EU must change its laws and regulations to give "a sense of self-respect and dignity" back to individual countries.
Salvini's party has soared in recent years, tripling its number of votes in the regional elections in Basilicata (growing in just one year from 6.2% to 19%).
His hardline approach to his nation's issues, such as mass-migration, have seen no-nonsense Salvini's popularity skyrocket in Italy, and beyond.
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In a short interview, Sputnik News asked Salvini about his predictions for the elections to the European Parliament and how he hopes to protect his country, and others, from the push toward globalism.
The Italian leader discusses how he and Lega see the fate of Europe, given that, according to the recently presented Confcommercio Report, Italy is the most “Eurosceptical” country, along with the Czech Republic, and is seemingly ready to follow Britain for an “Italexit.”
“Neither I, nor our government, has any plans to leave the European Union, but there is a conviction that it is necessary to change its laws and regulations in order to remain a member of the European community with a sense of self-respect and dignity,” Salvini said.
“Obviously, the reality is stronger than propaganda.
"You can hang EU flags on the balconies, but what kind of Europe is that?
“One that with the Bolkestein directive (the Internal Market Directive 2006/123/EC on the laws of the single market) jeopardizes 300,000 jobs, and with the European standards for agriculture and fishery – millions of jobs?”
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Salvini also discussed the matter of mass migration in Italy, and the push for EU nations to take in more migrants and asylum seekers.
“One that is imposed on us by the Fornero law (2011 pension law, extremely unpopular in Italy), one that tells us that Italy cannot reduce taxes, one that did nothing to help us with the migration issue?” he continued.
“I recall that Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has asked for a review of the existing norms established in the Dublin Regulation on the distribution of migrants since June last year – and nothing…
“Therefore, Italians, as the EU continues hitting them on the head, are asking themselves: 'Why do we have to keep on paying for all this?'
“My main goal is to save Europe, a renewed Europe, and Lega will do that.
“We are being called Eurosceptics, sovereigntists, populists, Nazis, fascists, racists, xenophobes, homophobes, and so on and so forth.
“But it is we who will pour healthy blood into Europe’s arteries again.
“Today, I have scheduled the first week of April for the first public conference to discuss what our idea of Europe is for the next 40 years.
"We will discuss these ideas with those of our allies with whom we plan to meet in Parliament in Brussels in July,” he concluded.
