Matteo Salvini has pledged a “new European spring” alongside Poland’s rightwing government as Italy’s populist leader attempts to build a Eurosceptic alliance ahead of Brussels elections in May.
On a trip to Warsaw to meet Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, Mr Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and head of the country’s hard right League party, on Wednesday promised a common action plan that would “fuel Europe with new strength and new energy”.
“Poland and Italy will be the heroes of the new European spring and the renaissance of true European values,” said Mr Salvini, who has already forged ties with other anti-migrant rightwing leaders across Europe, including France’s Marine Le Pen.
Polish interior minister Joachim Brudzinski, who also met Mr Salvini, said Poland and Italy were core to Europe, and hit out at “those who are trying to position us as extremely anti-European”.
He said Poland wanted to “strengthen the EU and reform it from within, so it can serve all citizens, and not just the elites”.
