‘They want us to be weak!’ Senior Italian eurosceptic BLASTS EU over election results

Gianluca Giorgetti, one of Matteo Salvini’s closest party members, claimed the non-existent reaction of European markets to the results was proof the EU is happy about the current governmental instability in Italy.

Speaking on Rai 3 Agorà, Mr Giorgetti said his party’s response to Brussels’ reaction will be that of a “strong government” ready to fight European austerity.

He said: “In Europe, the strong powers, the markets; they’re extremely happy about the fact Italy doesn’t have a Government at the moment.

“Markets haven’t reacted because they want Italy to be weak, they want a weak Italian political reality.

“But our response will be to have a strong Government.”

More than 50 per cent of the Italian electorate voted for eurosceptic parties in the March 4 general election.

The anti-EU party League, led by die-hard eurosceptic Matteo Salvini, achieved an astonishing result as its share of the vote rose from 4 percent in 2013 to a whopping 18 percent.

Mr Salvini has vowed to fight Brussels over its key economic treaties and threatened the bloc to withhold any further contribution to the EU should Brussels not listen to his demands.

The results of the Italian election did not produce a clear winner.

With the latest Italian electoral law, a majority of 40 percent of the votes was needed to form a new government.

The centre-right coalition between Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi and Giorgia Meloni came really close to the number of votes necessary to rule the country, with 37 per cent of the votes.

However, the largest party of the 2018 election was eurosceptic party Five Star Movement led by 31 years old politician Luigi Di Maio.

Parties will have until summer to agree on a grand-coalition and form Italy’s next government.

Mr Giorgetti has been put forward by his leader Matteo Salvini for the position of President of the Camera.