Italian party League leader Matteo Salvini vowed, once again, to fight Brussels as he get nearer to taking charge of the country in the latest Italian election results.
Speaking at a press conference, the eurosceptic leader said: “With the Italian vote, European people have taken a step forward towards freedom from Brussels’ cages and constraints that have brought hunger, precariousness and insecurity to Europe.
“The Italian vote will give us the chance to rebuild a Europe founded on men and women and not on constraints, bureaucracy and choices made speculators on the back of other people.
“They won’t fool us anymore. In Italy, Italians will decide from now on.
“Not Berlin, not Paris, not Brussels.”
Dubbed “the Italian Farage” for his anti-Europeanism, he has vowed to make “extreme” reforms to European laws if elected, has threatened the EU with the possibility of an “Italexit” and pledged in his party’s manifesto to “defend Italian borders from the invasion” of illegal immigrants.
In a recent interview with La7 Coffee Break, Mr Salvini said: “I will seek to change some of the European treaties and regulations which penalise Italian people.
“We need to put Italian interests before those of the European Union, or at least at the same level.
“The laws imposed by Brussels damage Italian artisans, traders, pensioners, but hey, Europe is asking so we have to obey.
“Come on, if Europe asks me to throw myself in a well I’m not going to do that just because Europe is asking me to, am I?
“We give the EU €20million per year, that gives us the right to negotiate our position and reform their rules.”
Matteo Salvini’s League is currently the leading party in the centre-right coalition with Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia and centre-right party Fratelli d’Italia.
The party received an incredible support since the low percentages reached in the 2013 election, when the party only managed to gain 4 per cent of the votes.
With the new Italian electoral law, if no party or coalition reaches a majority, it will be up to Italian President Sergio Mattarella to decide which party or coalition will be given the chance to form a government post-election.
So far, the largest party in the run is populist party Five Star Movement led by Luigi Di Maio with 31.75 per cent of the votes.
However, the centre-right coalition is ahead of the polls with 37 per cent of the votes.
Parties and coalitions need a 40 per cent majority to win the election.