Italian election: ‘It’s a EUROPEAN CAGE!’ Frontrunner STUNS EU with threat to leave euro

The League leader vowed he will challenge the on key treaties that currently harm the Italian economy – including those regulating membership of the Eurozone.

Mr Salvini has been a key proponent of euro reforms ever since his rise into politics in the late 1990s.

He said: “the euro was a bad currency before and remains a bad currency today.

“Either Europe changes or Italy – if it keeps being victimised– has no reason to stay in this cage. My goal is to change the treaties.”

Earlier last week Mr Salvini announced his party had nominated two notably anti-euro economists, Claudio Borghi and Alberto Bagnai.

Mr Borghi will be challenging the current Economy and Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan – who was previously rumoured to be the pro-EU candidate for the ruling Democratic Party (PD). 

The leader of the right-wing League said he is ready to travel to Brussels to demand changes to the current treatment  receives from Brussels, suggesting he is prepared to put membership to the vote should he be rejected.

Italy is currently the third-biggest economy of the  after Germany and France.

Speaking to Faccia a Faccia con Giovanni Minoli, Mr Salvini continued: “f I win the elections I will go to Brussels to say we need to change policies about banks, trade, agriculture and the currency. If they say I’m right, I will be happy.

“If they tell me no, I still have to safeguard Italians. And I’m ready to do anything to do just that. In my party’s programme, we included a section calling for the revision of the EU treaties, no to EU authority and priority for Italy.”

With the clock ticking before Italy’s general election on March 4, Mr Salvini reiterated his biggest priority is opposing “budgetary constraints or European regulations that harm Italian companies and families”. 

Mr Salvini said he wanted “fewer constraints from Europe, no to austerity policies, revision of the European treaties and prevalence of the Italian Constitution over the Community law”.

The League, he said, is “willing to do anything to defend national interest” – including going against the EU’s deficit-and-GDP rule.