The League said Friday it would table a motion of censure against the European Commission president alleging Ursula von der Leyen promised to treat Italy as she did Hungary and Poland if the right wins Italy’s elections.
“The League Group” [Movimento pela Europa das Nações e da Liberdade/ENF – direita] in the European Parliament (EP) will table a motion of censure,” party leader Matteo Salvini said.
European Commission (EC) President Ursula Von der Leyen said on Thursday that if the general elections in Italy herald an autocratic, nationalist and Eurosceptic change, there are “instruments in the European Union (EU), as happened in the cases of Poland and Hungary”.
However, von der Leyen added that they are “willing to cooperate with any democratic government”, which in turn is willing to cooperate with the Commission.
Announcing the censure motion against Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, Salvini said the EC president had expressed “a filthy threat, an unsolicited field invasion.”
“You represent all Europeans, your salary is paid by all of us and you were a disgusting and arrogant threat,” Salvini said.
The EC reprimanded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Órban and the ruling Law and Justice party – which is in power in Poland – on issues related to the rule of law and human rights, and imposed sanctions on these countries and demanded that they respect democratic values of the EU.
The League and the Brothers of Italy (Fdi) abstained last week in a vote in the European Parliament declaring that under Orban Hungary is no longer a fully functioning democracy, but an autocracy.
Orban is a key ally of the two Italian parties, while Law and Justice is part of the conservative EP caucus, chaired by FdI leader Giorgia Meloni, along with Spain’s far-right Vox party.
Giorgia Meloni, who could become Italy’s first female head of government according to polls ahead of Sunday’s general election, has often praised the policies of Órban and his Polish allies.
“On Sunday, Italians will vote, not Brussels bureaucrats, and if I were the President of the European Commission, I would [mais] concerned about the utility bill,” Salvini said.
Meloni assured Italy’s international partners that Italy, under their leadership, will respect EU and NATO positions and continue to support Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion.
The leader of the Brothers of Italy also expressed Eurosceptic and conservative views.
Source: DN
