About: Matteo Salvini
Italy lets French migrant ship dock to anger of far right
Charity rescue ship Ocean Viking headed towards the southern Italian port of Taranto on Tuesday (15 October) after the government gave it authorisation to bring 176 migrants ashore in a decision that angered the far-right League.
A European ‘Mare Nostrum’ instead of Operation Sophia 2.0
An EU mission within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy is not the adequate instrument for controversial domestic issues such as migration, writes Tobias Pietz.
Salvini issues new migrant ban as seeks to derail new coalition
Italy's outgoing interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has banned another migrant-rescue ship from docking in the country, using the issue of immigration to pile pressure on his main two political rivals as they seek to form a new government.
Orban commiserates with ‘fellow combatant’ Salvini
Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commiserated Thursday (29 August) with Italy's outgoing far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, calling him a "fellow combatant" in the fight for the "preservation of European Christian heritage and against migration".
Defence ministers discussed artificial intelligence, killer robots, climate threat
EU defence ministers discussed artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons – also called “killer robots” –, hybrid threats and conflicts stemming from climate change, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini told the press after an informal Council meeting in Helsinki on Thursday (29 August).
Make or break day in Italy in ‘craziest crisis ever’
Wednesday (28 August) is D-Day for fraught negotiations to form a new Italian government, failing which the eurozone's third largest economy will be forced to hold fresh elections.
Italy’s PD, 5-Star on verge of government deal with Conte as PM
The ruling 5-Star Movement and the opposition Democratic Party appeared on the verge of a deal to form a new Italian government on Monday (26 August) after the PD indicated it had abandoned a veto on Giuseppe Conte serving another term as prime minister.
Italy’s Mattarella gives parties extra time to solve political crisis
President Sergio Mattarella gave political parties until Tuesday to come up with proposals for a new government coalition, saying he will call fresh elections if they fail to find a solution to the current government crisis.
Migrants in limbo again after landing in Italy
One hundred and forty seven migrants who disembarked on Italy's Lampedusa island were again in limbo Wednesday (21 August) as a European deal to redistribute them failed to materialise and Madrid said it could hit the Spanish charity with a huge fine for rescuing them.
Italy’s Conte blasts Salvini before handing in resignation
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday evening (20 August), despite an eleventh-hour attempt by the far-right Lega party to defuse the crisis by withdrawing a motion of no-confidence against the government.
Rescued migrants disembark as Italy justice probes Salvini
Eighty-three migrants rescued at sea by the Open Arms disembarked early Wednesday (20 August) from the charity rescue vessel in Italy's Lampedusa island, television images showed, after Italian justice ordered they be brought ashore.
Italy’s government crisis comes to the boil
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will clear the air on the political crisis gripping his coalition as he is expected to announce his resignation today (20 August), opening a new period of political uncertainty for the eurozone's third-largest economy.
Six EU countries ready to take in migrants stranded off Italy
A 'coalition of the willing' of six EU member states have agreed to take some of the 147 migrants stranded on a rescue ship near the Italian island of Lampedusa, Rome announced Thursday (15 August), amid an immigration row between Italy's interior minister and premier.
Italy recalls Senate as no-confidence vote looms
Italy's political crisis edged forward on Monday (12 August) after party leaders decided to recall the Senate to vote on a timetable that could include a no-confidence vote and spell the end of the populist coalition.
Salvini’s quest for snap Italian election faces hurdles
Lega chief Matteo Salvini's call for snap Italian elections after he turned on his own coalition partner faced mounting resistance on Sunday (11 August), with both his former 5-Star ally and the centre-left opposition seeking to put the brakes on.
Italy’s Salvini says government is finished, calls for elections
Tension is mounting in Italy between its populist leaders over the financing of a multi-billion-euro high-speed train line, raising speculation the coalition government could collapse.
UN warns Italy over tough law on migrant rescue boats
The UN voiced concern on Tuesday (6 August) over a law approved by Italy's parliament that imposes stiffer penalties on NGO migrant rescue boats in the Mediterranean, demanding humanitarian work "not be criminalised or stigmatised."
Italy lets in stranded migrants after striking EU deal
Italy allowed 116 rescued migrants to disembark from a coastguard ship Wednesday with Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's backing after five EU countries and the Church agreed to share responsibility for looking after them.
Dozens of migrants still stuck on coastguard vessel in Italy port
An Italian coastguard vessel stranded in the Mediterranean with more than 130 migrants aboard has been allowed to dock in the Sicilian port of Augusta but Rome on Sunday (28 July) refused to let them disembark until a deal is struck with the EU.
Conte tells the Italian Senate he stands by League over Russia funding scandal
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Wednesday (24 July) he had continued trust in the League party within his coalition government despite allegations it had sought illicit funds from Russia.
Sturgeon: Scotland has “profound concerns” about new UK PM Johnson
The appointment of Boris Johnson as the United Kingdom's prime minister has sparked worry in Scotland, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying she has "profound concerns about the prospect of his premiership."
Sea rescue activist: We hope for ‘coalition of the willing’ to support our rescue operations
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, David Starke, the chief executive officer of SOS Méditerranée Germany, spoke about his sea rescue organisation and others resuming operations at sea after Italy's closing of ports and investigations led against sea rescuers prompted a six-month hiatus.
EU coalition of the willing agrees new migrant ‘solidarity mechanism’
Fourteen member countries of the European Union have agreed to a new "solidarity mechanism" proposed by Germany and France to allocate migrants across the bloc, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (22 July).