He may have miscalculated when he broke with Movimento 5 Stelle last year in pushing for an election that never happened, but Matteo Salvini is still the most popular politician in Italy and La Lega is a ruling party in waiting:
Luigi Di Maio has resigned as leader of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in a step that will shake up Italian politics and prompt fears of a snap election after months of internal party dissent and coalition infighting.
“It is time to rebuild,” Di Maio said in a speech in Rome confirming his departure as M5s leader. He added that he had worked to grow the movement “and protect it from the profiteers and traps along the way,” but “I have completed my task” and others must now step in to take on the role.
Despite his resignation, Di Maio insisted he remains fully committed to the party, and said the government “must go on” and have time to fix “the mess made by those who governed for 30 years before.”
Earlier, ministers of the co-governing Five Star Movement (M5S) met to discuss strategy ahead of crucial regional elections in Emilia Romagna and Calabria, where the party is expected to face defeat to the right-wing League party led by Matteo Salvini. The 33-year-old insurgent politician is expected to remain on as foreign minister for the coalition government which looks to be on increasingly shaky ground.
The nationalist forces are rising and are stronger than ever. That’s why the global imperialists, from Scotland to Lampedusa, are desperately trying to avoid elections by hook, crook, or previously unthinkable political alliances.