The Sweden Democrats want out:
The leader of the far-right anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats is calling for a referendum on EU membership, hoping for a ‘Swexit’ result. Jimmie Åkesson, 39, branded the EU ‘a large web of corruption’, and said Sweden should hold a referendum after the general elections this September. ‘We pay an enormous amount of money and get overwhelmingly little back. But the main reason is ideological: we should not be in an ideological union.’
The Sweden Democrats is currently the second biggest party in the Scandinavian nation, boosted by the European migrant crisis which saw Sweden take in more refugees per capita than any other EU country.
Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini remains staunchly opposed to the invasion by sea:
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Saturday warned another migrant rescue mission off the Libyan coast that it would not be allowed to land its “human cargo” at an Italian port.
The new rightwing and anti-immigrant Italian government last week banned the French NGO operated vessel the Aquarius, with more than 600 rescued migrants on board, from docking in Italy, causing uproar and a sharp spat with France.
Spain subsequently offered to take the Aquarius and it is expected at the port of Valencia on Sunday.Salvini showed no sign Saturday of softening his position.
“While the Aquarius is sailing towards Spain, two other Dutch NGO operated vessels (Lifeline and Seefuchs) have arrived off the Libyan coast, to wait for their human cargos once the people smugglers abandon them,” Salvini said in a Facebook post.
“These people should know that Italy no longer wants to be any part of this business of clandestine immigration and they will have to look for other ports to go to,” he said.
“As minister and as a father, I take this action for the benefit of all,” he added.
After Rome’s decision to ban the Aquarius, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met on Friday and agreed that the EU should set up asylum processing centres in Africa to prevent “voyages of death.”