Italian Deputy Prime Minister: Macron poses a danger to Europe
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini accused French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday of endangering Europe by refusing to rule out sending Western forces to Ukraine.
Salvini’s statements, leader of the far-right League party, which is part of the government coalition headed by Giorgia Meloni, came during a gathering held in Rome for right-wing and nationalist European leaders to mobilize support in preparation for the European Union parliamentary elections scheduled for June.
During the gathering organized by the Identity and Democracy Bloc in the European Parliament, Salvini said that Macron’s proposal last month to send troops to Ukraine was “extremely dangerous, excessive and unbalanced”.
Salvini said in his speech, in which he greatly emphasized the values of conservative families, “I believe that President Macron, with his words, poses a danger to our country and our continent”.
He added, “The problem doesn’t lie with mothers and fathers, but rather with warmongers like Macron who talk about war as if there is no problem currently”.
He continued, “I don’t want us to leave to our children a continent that is preparing to enter into a Third World War”.
Andre Ventura, leader of the far-right Portuguese Chiga party, which made a big leap in general elections held this March, also spoke, as well as Harald Willemski, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the former US presidential candidate.
The leader of the extreme right in France, Marine Le Pen, didn’t participate in person, and was limited to sending a message via video.
Salvini, who also serves as Italy’s Minister of Transport, is a hardline populist whose statements often attract sharp criticism.
Earlier this month, he commented on the results of the Russian presidential election by saying, “When people vote, they are always right”.
After the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalany last month, he said that determining the cause of death “is up to Russian doctors and judges”.
Salvini has previously expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Macron’s statements last month, in which he refused to rule out sending troops to Ukraine, prompted a firm response from Berlin and other European partners.
