Matteo Salvini, the frontrunner in the next Italian general election, promised to follow Donald Trump’s approach and to impose new customs duties on foreign products sold in Italy.
Speaking on Mediaset’s Mattino Cinque, the leader of the League party vowed to fight Brussels if they do not allow him the right to impose the new customs duties.
He said: “I want to do the same as Donald Trump and impose customs duties on products coming from outside of Italy to defend Italian factories.“
As he turned to the audience, he said: “We already have customs duties on some products but I can give you the example of products we have on our table at lunchtime.
“Did you know that because of EU regulations by now we get olive oil from Tunisia, while we produce the best olive oil in the world;
“Oranges and tomatoes from Morocco, and goodnight Sicily and Emilia Romagna;
“Rice from Cambodia, wheat from Canada, fish from North Africa, and powder milk?”
“I’m going to lead the country and I’m going to defend Italian agriculture, Italian food and Italian milk.
“Is it bad of me to defend Italian jobs and the future of our children just because Brussels is going to tell me that I can’t do it?
“I ask you if Brussels tells me I can’t do it, can I go there in your name and tell them we have the sea and the land that produces the best products in the world?”
The audience applauded at the Italian politician’s argument against the European Union.
Mr Salvini is in the run as Italy’s next Prime Minister at the March 4 election.
He will run both as an individual candidate for his party the League and in a pre-election coalition with former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.