After four years of political turbulence, Italy is once again heading for a general election this September. If polls are correct, the Right is expected to regain power for the first time in more than a decade due to the revival of the Right-Center alliance that includes the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) Party led by Giorgia Meloni , the right-wing populist party Lega led by Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his Christian-Democratic backers.
After the 2018 elections, Salvini's party became the largest in the Right-Center bloc and decided to join the short-lived government with the Five Star Movement, a left-wing populist party. Due to this partnership, he was hurt among right-win voters, who flocked to Meloni. She has been accused by the Left of cozying up to neo-fascistic forces. Salvini, who is considered very pro-Israel, is expected to have a senior role in a right-wing government.
Speaking with Israel Hayom he promised to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and warned against the Italian Left's antisemitism masked as anti-Israeli policies. He further states that Italy is not facing the threat of fascism today.
Q: Italy elects a new Parliament on September 25. What are the chances that Italy would have a right-wing government after this election?
"A right-wing government? I would rather call it a government of good sense, coherence, and conclusiveness, that focuses on labor, safety, development, worthiness, and traditions. I truly believe in it, not only for the polls but also according to what I see and feel at political gatherings. There is a great desire for change. Beyond the unrepeatable experience of the government of National unity led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the Democratic Party (PD) has been in power since 2011 until now and too often without a clear mandate from the citizens. Now it's time to turn the page and start a new season."
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Q: What are the ideological differences between Lega and Fratelli d'Italia?
"We rule together the majority of Italian regions and thousands of city councils, so the alliance is solid: Lega is a party proudly connected to the territory, enhancing the local realities, with a long tradition of government. Being born federalist and liberal, Lega has in its own DNA the great Western principles of democracy and freedom. The main values are absolutely shared: defense of the family, lower taxes, autonomy, and safeguarding of the Italian interests. Lega has today more than 800 mayors in all of Italy, six governors, 6,000 local administrators that sum up in a unique and solid asset of competencies widely located. I am also proud to remind you that, as leader of Lega, I organized a meeting in the Senate on the topic of antisemitism in order to reveal what is a true scandal of our times. On this topic we are very alert, we do not let our guard down and nobody talks about it more than us."
Q: Has Fratelli d'Italia distanced itself, in your opinion, enough from any fascist connections?
"It surely did, we are all looking at the future. I also believe that in 2022 it does not make sense to talk about a "fascism alert", it is the topic that the Italian Left uses at every election against all the opponents that may create an obstacle for it. We are and we will remain a democratic country, without any nostalgia of a violent past that, luckily, will not return."
Q: In the past you were described as a danger to Europe, now it's the turn of Georgia Meloni to be painted as a danger and a threat to Europe. Why is there such a fear from Italian right-wing parties?
"First, let me say that I do not feel "right-wing" and that Lega is not "right-wing", we strongly care for the wellbeing of Italy but we address everybody, as shown by the fact that we are the most voted party by the workers of both genders. The center-Right as a team is the majority in the country but not in the editorial boards of the main newspapers and in the mainstream of a certain left-wing intelligentsia that tends to have an intolerant and not very democratic view. It portrays those who do not share the same values as an enemy to fight and not as an opponent. Therefore, many journalists that were part of the extreme Left have now ended up becoming the chief editors of newspapers and of the main editorial offices. On our side, we have already ruled the country, it is frankly ridiculous to raise unfounded concerns.
"On the other hand, I believe that they have to worry about the PD because it has fielded candidates, even as chief of constituency lists, who have written shameful insults against Israel and its right to exist and defend itself. As the intellectual Paolo Mieli has declared, in a recent interview to the Italian newspaper Libero, those are not isolated cases but a very common behavior within PD, which "rules a core that still is culturally rooted in the history and ideals of the October revolution." And as Mieli continues explaining, the party, in reality, did not follow the leader Enrico Letta "because an ancient distrust still resists towards the US, like the one against Israel". Another journalist and intellectual Fiamma Nirenstein has revealed on Il Giornale "the use of antisemitisic anti-israeliness as a weapon of consensus" of the Left and recalled that PD representative Boldrini, former president of the Chamber of Deputies, that 'invited to the Chamber Mohamed Ahmed al Tayyeb, the imam that preaches the destruction of Israel.' I am outraged and worried."
Q: The socialist party, PD, is getting stronger according to the latest polls, after years of a deep crisis. What is the reason for that?
"As I previously said, I always look with care at polls and I do believe that the left will be severely punished by the elections. The victory of Lega and the Center-Right will be the best guarantee so that the haters of Israel, like the ones that PD candidate, will be put in conditions not to influence the Italian government. I would rather propose differently: Against those that still feel a strong and groveling antisemitism we should rediscover the important contribution that Judaism has given to Italian history and, more generally, European history. Those that are enemies of Israel in Italy, Europe and the world, are enemies of freedom, of democracy and of myself."
Q: Does the war in Ukraine play a role in the Italian election campaign?
"It surely does, Lega has always stressed the need of reaching peace with a diplomatic solution that does not humiliate anybody. We declared that Italy must enhance its international role as a country that enables dialogue between nations, within a solid alliance with the other European parties. I want to be clear, one time more: I believe that the invasion of Ukraine is unacceptable and everything that it entails, from the sufferings of the civilians that I personally witnessed by going – the first Italian leader – to the border of Ukraine and Poland. I add another analysis: Europe is living a dramatic crisis due to the costs of energy. It is, therefore, necessary also to have valuable alternatives to Moscow, to restart the project EastMed-Poseido, the gas pipeline that could connect Italy and Israel."
Q: Is there a reason to fear Russian involvement in this election?
"Not at all, let's not joke. The Italians will vote, those who are talking about possible Russian influences – the Left – are looking for an alibi because they know they will lose. Like the vote in Israel, the Italian vote will be free and transparent."
Q: If the right-wing coalition will win the coming election, will you honor your promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move Italy's embassy to Jerusalem and see this promise is delivered?
"Absolutely yes, even if I reinstate that the coalition is center-Right. I gave my word, I am fully committed with the people of Israel and I intend to keep my word."
Q: You were put on trial for some strange accusations, other leaders of the Right in other countries were also persecuted by the legal system – in France, Austria, the US, Israel. Do you see a concentrated political effort to use the legal systems to criminalize strong right-wing leaders?
"I will talk about myself: I risk up to 15 years of prison because I defended the Italian borders, stopping the ships that were transporting illegal migrants and that, in reality, were encouraging human trafficking. I am facing a trial because of the vote of the left-wing majority of the Italian Parliament. When it cannot beat us politically, the PD, that candidate enemies of Israel, and its allies try to win in court."
Q: What should be Italy's policy towards Iran and does Lega recognizes Israel's right to use all means, including military ones, to prevent Iran from having a nuclear arsenal?
"A democracy like Israel has every right to defend itself against any threat to its existence and its freedom. Iran continues to maintain dangerous politics for peace and the stability of the Middle East. The nuclear in the hands of ayatollahs would be dangerous for the entire world and must be stopped at all costs, even if I strongly wish there could be a diplomatic solution."
