Packed into a piazza, Italy’s Sardines lead ‘mother of all battles’ against rise of Salvini

TENS of thousands of peaceful protesters from Italy’s growing Sardines movement packed into Bologna’s biggest square yesterday in a final push to stave off Matteo Salvini’s populist rise before a crucial regional vote.

The election in Emilia-romagna, northern Italy, is considered the mother of all battles for the centre-left Democratic Party, which has held power there for more than 70 years.

A win for Mr Salvini’s League could have serious implications for the survival of the national coalition, an alliance of the Democrats and Five Star.

“We are worried and just hope our sardines are able to reach the hearts of the still undecided,” said 67-year-old Giovanna Colognesi, of Ferrara, whose group hoisted placards of Cupid shooting sardines from his bow as Italian bands began a six-hour music concert.

Polls suggest it will be a close-fought contest, with the Democratic candidate forecast to win 45-47 per cent of the vote, and the League’s 43-45 per cent.

Outwardly, at least, the government says it is confident of winning, and claims a League victory would not bring down the coalition.

“Emilia-romagna has been governed by the Left since the [war]. If we lose, it could have a psychological effect … But in terms of the stability of the government, I don’t see any effect,” said Vincenzo Amendola, the Democrats’ minister for European affairs.

Stefano Bonaccini, the region’s Democrat governor, has been lauded for his solid governance, but Mr Salvini routinely draws enthusiastic crowds as he appears alongside Lucia Borgonzoni, the League candidate.

If Mr Salvini’s party does win, it will be a bitter blow to the Sardines, a grassroots movement born in Emilia-romagna in opposition to his Right-wing agenda. It was named after a saying that whenever Mr Salvini held a rally, those protesting against him would be packed into the piazzas like sardines.