Fear in Brussels as Italian anti-EU leaders sworn in
ITALY yesterday ushered in an openly Eurosceptic government led by political novices from the far-Left and far-Right – prompting panic in Brussels.
The anti-establishment coalition’s arrival in power brought temporary relief to the markets after weeks of uncertainty, but is set to open up clashes with EU chiefs.
It follows an election in March that saw Italy’s older parties knocked back by emerging political forces.
Brussels is nervous about the ruling partnership between the Five-Star Movement and the far-Right League party – despite the coalition rowing back from its previous calls to boycott the euro.
The parties plan to take aim at EU spending rules by promising to slash taxes and increase social welfare payments, alongside a pledge to deport thousands of illegal immigrants. Giuseppe Conte, who has no political experience, was yesterday sworn in as prime minister.
The law professor said the coalition, made up of 18 ministers from across the political spectrum, would be a ‘government of change’.
The 53-year-old previously served as legal adviser to the Five Star Movement’s leadership and has advocated a shake-up of the country’s political establishment.
He was rushed from a lecture he the University of Florence on Thursday to prepare for yesterday’s ceremony, where he said: ‘You have to trust all of us.’
The new government, sworn in yesterday, will be propped up by Five-Star chief Luigi Di Maio and League’s leader Matteo Salvini.
Mr Salvini, now interior minister, promised the government would adopt a ‘send them home’ approach to migrants in Italy. He said: ‘Open doors in Italy for good people and a one-way ticket for those who come to Italy to create commotion and think they will be taken care of – “send them home” will be one of our top priorities. I want to make Italy a protagonist in Europe again.
‘I’m fed up of governments with cap in hand.’
He said the hard-line approach was necessary to address the burden placed on Italy during the EU migration crisis. Mr Di Maio will take over a new industry and labour ministry, seeking to expand benefits for struggling families and workers.
The coalition leaders agreed to remove devout Eurosceptic Paolo Savona as finance minister over concerns about his calls to take Italy out of the euro. But they handed the 81-year-old a new position as Europe minister in a move likely to further stoke tensions with Brussels. They offset the decision by choosing Enzo Moavero Milanesi, who served in a 2011 government that implemented EU austerity measures, as foreign minister.
The government was greeted with a warning from Donald Tusk last night, who said the EU needed ‘unity and solidarity more than ever’. ‘Your appointment comes at a crucial time for Italy and the entire European Union,’ the European Council president wrote in a letter of congratulations.