Instead of helping fake migrants, the Italian government should concentrate on helping its own people with adequate measures tailored to counteract the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, League leader Matteo Salvini told conservative Hungarian daily Magyar Hírlap.
Both houses of the Italian Parliament ratified the reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) on Wednesday night, but the votes revealed deep divisions in the left-wing governing coalition. In the upper house, the yes and no votes were going head to head. MPs also voted to amend the migration security package introduced by former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
“The abolition of the package is not one of the most pressing problems in the country. Protecting people’s health and jobs would be issues that the government should address primarily and exclusively, Matteo Salvini told Magyar Hírlap. “By contrast, there has been a multi-day parliamentary debate on how to use the country’s remaining resources to help fake refugees and pay for law enforcement forces to coordinate them,” Salvini said.
The president of the League said the country would need quick decisions and immediate help instead of political battles. He said the center-right opposition coalition had developed concrete proposals to remedy the serious emergency in the country.
“An immediate reduction of the burden on entrepreneurs and traders affected by the emergency is essential,” he stressed. “This will be the most difficult Christmas for millions of Italians since the war, not to mention that many will not be able to leave their homes,” he added.
Salvini also said that Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte would decide on the use of the EU Recovery Fund by setting up a committee of six commissioners and 100 experts. According to Salvini, a decision of this magnitude should be decided by parliament and the experts who have already dealt with it. Salvini also expressed concern that important issues are being postponed due to divisions within the governing coalition. “All indications are that not a common policy but only a public health emergency is keeping the government alive,” he said.
“If a government crisis develops, free elections for a democratic country could be the most worthwhile solution. Every day, I meet thousands of citizens who have run out of patience. They beg us to figure something out and bring parliament and the country back to normal. We will do our best to achieve this; we will achieve it step by step,” Salvini said.
Title image: League leader Matteo Salvini. (AFP/Tiziana Fabi)
