Rally in Rome shows Salvini and Italy’s far-right are now pragmatic about partners
Italy’s former deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini called on the country’s political right to rally around him as he addressed 100,000 people at a demonstration in Rome.
Mr Salvini, who brought down the country’s populist coalition government in August, spoke at the rally alongside former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and fellow far-right leader Giorgia Meloni to call for public support to defeat Italy’s sitting centre-left administration.
“We’re here in this piazza because we have a big responsibility – to answer our people’s call for unity,” Mr Berlusconi said.
Ms Meloni, whose party has regularly praised Italy’s wartime fascist leader Benito Mussolini, vowed to fight against what she referred to as “the Islamisation of Europe”.
“Let’s fight this battle together beyond the confines of individual parties, without selfishness and we will be unstoppable,” Ms Meloni told the crowd.
The size of the crowd – organisers claimed as many as 200,000 attended – reveals Mr Salvini’s growing popularity.
Demonstrators posed for selfies and carried the Italian flag as well as the flag of Mr Salvini’s far-right League party. Some carried devotional Christian pictures as Mr Salvini addressed them in the square.
The anti-immigrant leader has watched his popularity quickly rebound after setbacks over the summer. As deputy prime minister and interior minister Mr Salvini, although the junior partner in the previous government, overshadowed his populist allies in the Five Star Movement.
In the hope of ushering in a snap election and capitalising on a strong lead in the opinion polls, Mr Salvini ended the coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star party.
As interior minister, Mr Salvini used his position create a standoff between the Italian government and international NGOs operating rescue ships for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
Under security legislation Mr Salvini introduced, these international organisations faced large fines for letting their vessels enter Italian ports, with custodial sentences handed down to the ships’ captains.
However, Mr Salvini’s hopes for a swift election were thwarted when the Five Star Movement struck a coalition deal with the centre-left Democratic Party.
Mr Salvini’s exile to the political wilderness led to a brief slump in popularity for the League party. It is clear, however, that in opposition, Mr Salvini has reinvigorated his base.
Mr Salvini had previously indicated that he was unwilling to work with Mr Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party.
This most recent rally suggests that Mr Salvini plans to be more pragmatic and form alliances before any future election.
Although Italy’s next general election is not due to be held until 2023, the current coalition government is fragile and could fall apart before then.
Giorgia Meloni wants to ‘fight this battle together beyond the confines of individual parties, without selfishness’