Italy's deputy prime minister and League leader Matteo Salvini continues to mull the creation of a large right-wing European alliance. As we approach the 2024 European Parliament elections, the question of where Italy's right-wing parties stand is being raised more and more often. For years now, speculation has been rife that the League, led by Mr Salvini, would like to join the European People's Party. In the past, journalists have on several occasions questioned the prospects of the League's intentions to join, with the party chief usually providing evasive answers.
However, Mr Salvini's latest press statement confirms that he has no intention of drifting closer to the EPP.
Key party politicians, such as Economy and Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, and Attilio Fontana, the governor of Lombardy, would support a merger into the largest European party family. However, Matteo Salvini still believes that the best solution is to unite the forces of the European right.
He believes that the only way to have a real, meaningful impact on decision-making in Brussels is for all right-wing parties to speak with one voice on key issues.
The League's president explained his decision by pointing out that, in terms of their relationship, the Socialists and the European People's Party have become more attached. Italian right-wing voters would view the group's drifting to the left as a betrayal, not to mention the fact that opinions are divided on a number of issues. These include the issue of surrogacy and EU targets that would bring the car market to its knees. At the last party meeting, members gave Matteo Salvini a full mandate to start talks as soon as possible with all the right-wing forces that could be involved in the creation of a large European party family.
Preparations for a European right-wing grouping had in fact already begun in the spring of 2021, when Matteo Salvini traveled to Budapest to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Back then, Mr Salvini said he wanted a European renaissance with his Polish and Italian allies. He said Europe was witnessing its darkest period since the 2nd World War, and that it had to be fought, because the current Brussels elite was unsuitable to do so. According to Italian press reports, Mr Salvni's ambitious goals were eventually suspended because Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Italy's largest governing Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) party, opposed them, on the grounds that she no intention of stepping down as leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists.
Cover photo: PM Viktor Orban, president of Fidesz (c), Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's right-wing governing party, the League (r) and Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki (l) at the Carmelite Monastery, on 1 April 2021 (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)
