Amid preparations for the upcoming European elections, the two smaller factions within Italy’s tripartite coalition are engaged in a heated debate regarding their connections with Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The catalyst for this disagreement was Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s recent declaration that his Lega party would categorically oppose the re-election of the current European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
In response, the other Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani of the Forza Italia party, unequivocally distanced himself from the AfD, a party that Salvini’s Lega is closely affiliated with.
In his capacity as the Foreign Minister, Tajani affirmed that his party would never align themselves with the AfD due to their conflicting values.
Lega and Forza Italia, the two minor members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing alliance, find themselves at odds over this issue.
While Salvini’s Lega has fostered strong ties with the AfD, Forza Italia, which was founded by the late Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is part of the same European political grouping as Von der Leyen’s Christian Democratic Union party.
As the European election draws near, both Forza Italia and Lega are currently polling below 10%, lagging significantly behind Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party.
Meloni has been frequently seen in public alongside Von der Leyen in recent months. (NAN)