All posts tagged: Matteo Salvini

Europe’s far-right leaders gather in Milan rally against immigration

Europe’s far-right leaders gather in Milan rally against immigration

Far-right leaders from Europe gathered in Milan Saturday for a rally attended by thousands against irregular immigration and Brussels bureaucracy, the first since the electoral defeat of nationalist Viktor Orban in Hungary. Supporters of the Patriots for Europe party, the third-largest bloc in the European Parliament, rallied in front of Milan’s Duomo cathedral, separated by a significant police presence from a likewise thousands-strong rally by anti-fascist groups.   Organiser Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s nationalist League party, has deemed that “symbol of Christianity” ideal for the event billed as “Without Fear – in Europe, Masters in our Own Home!” France’s Jordan Bardella and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders were in attendance at the invitation of Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister in the coalition government of Giorgia Meloni. Read more‘Allies, not vassals’: How Meloni’s break with Trump became a political moment for Italy “Today, the tragedy we predicted has become a reality. Our people, the original inhabitants of Europe, have been hit by a tsunami of mass immigration, illegal immigration, mostly from Islamic countries,” Wilders …

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

And come what may, Magyar remained laser-focused in his campaigning on bread-and-butter issues while hammering Fidesz over corruption, noting how Orbán’s family, business cronies and inner circle have grown ever richer as ordinary Hungarians have just got poorer.  What really concerned voters — inflation, economic malaise and endemic corruption — all remained front and center in Magyar’s campaign, according to Mátyás Bódi, an election geographer affiliated with Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University. And they played well for him, explained Bódi, who analyzed raw local polling data from independent pollsters throughout the election campaign. “What drove Orbán’s defeat was the cost of living, lack of economic opportunities and lack of jobs,” Bódi added. Magyar’s messaging about poor public services also resonated. “A key Magyar message was that the country just isn’t working. And if you look at health care, transportation, the education system, for ordinary people the average experience has been one of disrepair and increasing dysfunction.” Capitalizing on voter frustration, Magyar’s promises to build a “modern, European Hungary” appealed not only to young voters but also …

Meloni slams ‘enemies of Italy’ for railway sabotage and anti-Olympics protests – POLITICO

Meloni slams ‘enemies of Italy’ for railway sabotage and anti-Olympics protests – POLITICO

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday condemned anti-Olympics protesters and the unknown perpetrators of railway sabotage that caused train delays, particularly on the line between Bologna and Venice. “Then you have them, the enemies of Italy and Italians, who demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to be broadcast on television around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent trains from leaving,” Meloni wrote in a social media post that included FoxNews footage showing firecrackers and smoke bombs during anti-Olympics protests in Milan on Saturday. Hours after the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics were officially launched, suspected attacks damaged the Bologna-Venice railway line. On Saturday, Italy’s railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato reported “serious damage to railway infrastructure attributable to acts of sabotage.” One track switch was set on fire near Pesaro, while a few hours later cables were damaged, causing delays on Saturday morning, the operator said. Source link

Italy’s far-right League party splits as Salvini’s deputy quits – POLITICO

Italy’s far-right League party splits as Salvini’s deputy quits – POLITICO

Vannacci led a faction of the party that had openly challenged policies of the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, including its support for Ukraine. In his announcement, Vannacci drew a sharp ideological line, rejecting what he called a diluted right. “My right is not an à la carte menu … and above all it’s not moderate,” he wrote, describing it instead as “true, coherent, nationalist, strong, proud, convinced, enthusiastic, pure and contagious.” In response, Salvini wrote on X : “Angry? No, disappointed and bitter.” The message was also circulated in the party’s internal WhatsApp channels to confirm the break. The League leader stressed that the party had embraced Vannacci when others shunned him, offering him broad electoral opportunities and senior roles. “Being part of a party, a community, a family means not only receiving but work, sacrifice and above all loyalty,” Salvini wrote, adding that recent months had been marked by “rows, problems, tension” and signs of potential splinter movements. The split raises fresh questions about Vannacci’s political future, after the Patriots …

Airlines target EU climate rules after carmakers showed the way – POLITICO

Airlines target EU climate rules after carmakers showed the way – POLITICO

“I will make a bet today that what happened to the car regulation will happen to the SAF [Sustainable Aviation Fuels] regulation in Europe,” French energy giant TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné predicted at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month. Carmakers provide a model on how to get the EU to backtrack. The bloc mandated that no CO2-emitting cars could be sold from 2035, essentially killing the combustion engine and replacing it with batteries (possibly with a minor role for hydrogen). But many carmakers — allied with countries like Germany, Italy and automaking nations in Central Europe — pushed back, arguing that the 2035 mandate would destroy the car sector just as it is battling U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, sluggish demand and a rising threat from Chinese competitors. “I will make a bet today that what happened to the car regulation will happen to the SAF [Sustainable Aviation Fuels] regulation in Europe,” Patrick Pouyanné said. | Ludovic Marin/ AFP via Getty Images In the end, the European Commission gave way and watered …