About: Luigi Di Maio Archives

EU elections could make Italy's ruling Lega the biggest far-right party in the new European Parliament, elevating its leader, Matteo Salvini, to the status of a torchbearer for the populist camp. But they could also plunge the country in political turmoil.

Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini announced his intention to close every legal cannabis shop in Italy "one by one", saying he would even consider toppling the government if his coalition ally, the Five Star Movement, refuses to back him.

Chinese investments into the development of 5G communications networks are not included in the agreement between China and Italy set to be signed tomorrow, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday (22 March).

French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte appeared to have found common ground on long-standing bilateral issues, overcoming the risk of another rift after Macron said Italy's attempts to discuss national problems on the sidelines of an EU summit were "a waste of time".

Chinese President Xi Jinping kicks off a whistlestop European tour in Rome on Friday (22 March) amid growing Western unease over Italy joining the ever-expanding Asian giant's new Silk Road project.

The European Commission has set out a series of concrete actions to "deepen its engagement with China to promote common interests," the bloc's top officials said on Tuesday (12 March). However, MEPs voiced concerns over "embedded backdoors" in Chinese tech that may put personal data in the EU at risk.

Leaders of 5 parties from Italy, Poland, Croatia, Finland and Greece met in Rome last week to sign an electoral manifesto. Piotr Kaczyński has followed the event and offers his impressions and comments.

Italy’s transport ministry insisted on Tuesday (12 February) that a planned railway tunnel underneath the Alps to France would be a waste of money, in what could ratchet up tensions between Rome and Paris.

Italy's populist leaders on Saturday (9 February) promised to replace top officials at the country's central bank, who they said must pay for failing to prevent a spate of banking scandals in which thousands lost their savings.

The French foreign ministry on Wednesday (6 February) denounced as "unacceptable" a meeting between Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and France's "yellow vest" anti-government protesters.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday (27 January) that he will not respond to criticism by populist Italian leaders Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini because their words are of "no interest".

France has summoned Italy's ambassador to protest against comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who accused Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and causing people to migrate from the continent, a government source told AFP.

Italy's Five Star Movement has decried the "waste of money” of the European Parliament's seat in Strasbourg, putting its abolition at the centre of the party's campaign for the European elections in May.

Promoting direct democracy and reducing overspending in politics are among the priorities that the new political group will promote in a manifesto to be published in the run-up to the 2019 European elections.

Luigi Di Maio, the Italian deputy prime minister and leader of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), likened the French ‘yellow vests’ to his own political movement. Moreover, he openly criticised the French government. EURACTIV France reports.

Italy has done a deal with the European Commission over its contested 2019 budget, a spokeswoman at the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday (18 December), signaling an end to weeks of wrangling that had shaken financial markets.

Italy’s deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said he was confident about ongoing talks with the European Commission over the country’s budget, despite a fresh recommendation by EU government representatives on Thursday (29 November) to open an excessive deficit procedure against Italy.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio called on Monday (29 October) for unity within his 5-Star Movement after the anti-establishment party was forced to renege on an electoral pledge to halt a major, international gas transport project.

The Italian government expects the European Commission to decide for the first time ever on Tuesday (23 October) to ask a member state to revise its draft budget, a government source said on Sunday.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Thursday (11 October) he did not expect Italy to need aid to deal with its debt pile. Any intervention by the European Central Bank would require Italy to formally apply for a rescue programme, sources said. 

The Italian government on Thursday (4 October) dismissed concerns that the European Commission would reject its plan to raise deficit spending next year and signalled that it would not backtrack, even under market pressure.

A war of words took place days after Rome announced a big spending boost in defiance of the European Union that has spooked the markets and has EU capitals fearing a return of the debt crisis.

The European Union on Friday (28 September) issued a stern warning to Italy's populist leaders following their defiant pledge to increase spending and run a budget deficit that risks putting Rome on a collision course with Brussels.

Italy's government on Thursday (27 September) targeted the budget deficit at 2.4% of gross domestic product for the next three years, defying Brussels and marking a victory for party chiefs over economy minister Giovanni Tria, an unaffiliated technocrat.