Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party in the run as the next Italian Prime Minister, said Brexit should be an example for Italy.
In an interview with Italian TV channel LA7, the politician was asked if he still thought Brexit looked like a “breath of fresh air”.
He said: “When citizens get to choose they are always right, no matter what they choose.
“Brexit should make Italians reflect. The UK had a privileged role in the EU, very privileged.
“They had their own money, they defended their borders, they received a lot more money from the EU compared to what they had to pay out.
“We give more money than we receive, our borders are a colander. In the first few days of January, more than a thousand migrants arrived in Italy.
“Despite their advantages, Britons decided it was in their own interests to leave the EU.
“We’re not English, we’re Italians, we’re at the heart of Europe, one of the founder members of the EU, we either change our way to stay in Europe or what’s the point continuing to pay the EU?”
He added: “I’m convinced the euro was a bad decision. The Italian economy shows that the euro was a bad decision. I will never change my mind on this.
“I will fight until the end to try and change the rules of this Europe. They can give me two answers: they can say yes, or they can say no.
“If they say yes to my proposals, I’ll be happy to stay in Europe with a purpose. If they say no, I need to be ready to defend Italian people’s economic interests, debating everything, starting from the euro.
“They’re not the Bible, Jesus Christ didn’t impose this on us.
“Other member states will do it, I wouldn’t want to be the only one left out.”
Mr Salvini is expected to be the frontrunner of the newly announced pre-election coalition with Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia and centre-right party Fratelli d’Italia, in the upcoming general election on March 4.
A ban by the European Court of Human Rights on Silvio Berlusconi will prevent former Prime Minister to lead the country again after a sex scandal in 2011.