Italy’s Populists Turn Up the Heat as Anti-Migrant Anger Boils
- 6 years ago
Italy’s Populists Turn Up the Heat as Anti-Migrant Anger Boils
His political ideas, his notion of protecting the territory, is seen the same in the north and the south," said Francesco Zicchieri, a leader of We’re With Salvini, a movement
that has acted as the southern and central Italian branch of the Northern League.
Under its leader Matteo Salvini, whom the gunman described as his "captain," according to Italian press accounts, the party has rebranded itself, dropping the word Northern to attract voters in central
and southern Italy who share Mr. Salvini’s anti-immigrant anger.
When Salvini changes the Northern League to a nationalist league, he is destroying the dream." Mr. Salvini, a deeply ambitious politician, has his own dream,
and critics say it is primarily for himself, regardless of who gets hurt.
Mr. Salvini then argued that "unchecked immigration brings chaos, anger" and "drug dealing, thefts, rapes and violence." In Europe’s still precarious political climate, Mr. Salvini poses a whole new threat for a political establishment
that is enjoying a reprieve after populist forces were largely beaten back in French and German elections last year.
After the Macerata shooting spree, Mr. Salvini’s political ally, Mr. Berlusconi, promised to send home Italy’s 600,000 undocumented migrants, calling them a "social bomb ready to explode." In an Italian television interview he added, "All these migrants live off trickery
and crime." Mr. Berlusconi was supposed to be the moderating influence on Mr. Salvini.
Has he ever offered a solution besides throw them all out?" said Roberto Bernardelli, a gregarious hotel owner
and old guard Northern League member in Milan who has recently started a splinter party, The Great North.
His political ideas, his notion of protecting the territory, is seen the same in the north and the south," said Francesco Zicchieri, a leader of We’re With Salvini, a movement
that has acted as the southern and central Italian branch of the Northern League.
Under its leader Matteo Salvini, whom the gunman described as his "captain," according to Italian press accounts, the party has rebranded itself, dropping the word Northern to attract voters in central
and southern Italy who share Mr. Salvini’s anti-immigrant anger.
When Salvini changes the Northern League to a nationalist league, he is destroying the dream." Mr. Salvini, a deeply ambitious politician, has his own dream,
and critics say it is primarily for himself, regardless of who gets hurt.
Mr. Salvini then argued that "unchecked immigration brings chaos, anger" and "drug dealing, thefts, rapes and violence." In Europe’s still precarious political climate, Mr. Salvini poses a whole new threat for a political establishment
that is enjoying a reprieve after populist forces were largely beaten back in French and German elections last year.
After the Macerata shooting spree, Mr. Salvini’s political ally, Mr. Berlusconi, promised to send home Italy’s 600,000 undocumented migrants, calling them a "social bomb ready to explode." In an Italian television interview he added, "All these migrants live off trickery
and crime." Mr. Berlusconi was supposed to be the moderating influence on Mr. Salvini.
Has he ever offered a solution besides throw them all out?" said Roberto Bernardelli, a gregarious hotel owner
and old guard Northern League member in Milan who has recently started a splinter party, The Great North.