Sandro Gozi, who serves as Italy’s State Secretary for European Affairs, claimed that the election will see the “battle between pro-EU and anti-EU forces continue”.
Speaking at the South EU Summit, Mr Gozi, of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party, admitted he was part of the “only one pro-EU party alliance” fighting at the upcoming election.
Italians will go the polls on March 4th to decide the country’s next ruling coalition, amid growing support for the anti-EU policies on the left and right of the political spectrum.
Mr Gozi said those in Brussels revealed their “concern” about the impact of the elections on the rest of the European bloc.
The veteran politician is a “firm believer” in the European project and has tried to align his party with the momentum that saw Emmanuel Macron elected in France.
He said: “We will have the battle between pro-EU and anti-European forces go on in this election.
“In Italy, we have two different anti-EU forces. The right-wing parties who follow Le Pen-style policies and the anti-EU populism of the Five-Star Movement.”
The Five-Star Movement shocked the political elite in the country in 2016 when they took mayoral elections in Rome and Turin.
While Mr Gozi boasted that his party was the only pro-EU option in Italy, he admitted Europe had made “major mistakes” in recent years.
He claimed Europe abandoned Italy during the migrant crisis, wich fueled anti-EU sentiment in the country.
The Italian minister also pointed to the devastation caused by Brussels’ austerity-led policies and urged Mr Macron to lead the change of the European status quo.