Photo: Tony Gentile/Reuters

“An important signal from Sweden: work for the European elections starts in October, we aim to be the second group in the EU Parliament”

Of Angela Mauro
“The good result of the Sweden Democrats is a very important signal. Starting from October we will start working tables with other European identity forces to build together a platform for the May elections. Realistic goal: become the second group in Strasbourg and thus influence the choices of the European Parliament, perhaps by building a majority with the EPP to prevent there being another consociation between the People's Party and the Socialists”.
Lorenzo Fontana rejoices at the result of Jimmie Akesson's right-wing elections in Sweden. In this interview with Huffpost, the Northern League minister, former Northern League MEP and mastermind of the League's sovereignist turn, traces the stages of Matteo Salvini's political project between now and the European elections in May 2019. Mission: conquer Brussels and Strasbourg and change the characteristics of the EU.
Let's start from Sweden: there was no exploit by the populists, although they have gained support.
Last week's polls had them between 16 and the 19 percent, I'd say they turned out to be right: the 'Swedish Democrats’ they went beyond the 17 percent, while the Social Democrats are also declining in Sweden, the homeland of social democracy. E’ the trend of the last ten years.
Now what happens, from now to the European elections in May?
The brief, I think since October, there will be a series of working tables with other European identity forces to build a platform for the elections. The first should be in Vienna.
To build an alliance… whatever you call it: sovereignist? Populist? Identity?
I like to call it 'identitarian'. Even in the elections in Sweden there is an important trend to underline: in Stockholm the identitarians increase their votes especially in the suburbs, where the Social Democrats lose the most. Even there as in other elections – it also happened with Brexit in Great Britain – the urban areas confirm themselves to be aligned with the elites and the social democrats, while in the suburbs and in the countryside the so-called populist parties are increasing. E’ a form of identity resistance against this globalization. The same thing happens for consensus towards Le Pen or the League itself.
So now the identitarians aim to take over the cities, which ultimately are the center of power.
I analyze the division between cities and suburbs, between identity and globalization: the identity reaction against globalization is a clash that now characterizes every nation and all of Europe.
Conquering the cities is not possible without an alliance with the EPP.
In fact, Weber too (Bavarian, group leader in Strasbourg, he ran for president of the EU Commission in the next European elections with Merkel's approval, hopes for an alliance with the sovereignists, ndr.) talks about the question of identity as one of the fundamental issues. We remain alternatives to the EPP also because alliances in the European Parliament are made after the vote. But there is an important component in the EPP that understands the strength of identity movements, he knows that the paradigm has changed, he knows that it is very difficult to have a majority with the socialists in the next round. The fact that Merkel has chosen a Bavarian as leader of the EPP for the next elections already says a lot about this…
Speaking of Bavarians, the other Bavarian Horst Seehofer says that the agreement with Italy to take back the migrants rejected by Germany (secondary movements, ndr.) it's on Salvini's table. In short, the allies’ they beat you to cash…
If the EU decided to defend its external borders together, if immigration were truly regulated at European level, then secondary movements would be more manageable. The EU must assume its responsibility which it has not assumed so far.
He hasn't done so in recent months either: your government hasn't achieved much either.
He hasn't shown he wants to do it: this is the drama of the EU, has failed to act quickly and effectively on these issues.
Meanwhile, today the UN has decided to send a team to Italy to “strong increase in acts of violence and racism against migrants”. The UN is also wrong?
The UN was a great idea, but in recent years it seems to me to have lost its prestige and its original mission. E’ it is positive that there is a place where states can dialogue but we must be careful that it does not become an ideological tool. I think we should talk to other states and think about reforming the UN. I didn't think that with all the problems of minorities in the world, the problem was in Italy. I wonder if what the UN says is truth or propaganda and I suspect it is propaganda.
Let's go back to the Europeans. Identity alliance also with Bannon and his 'The movement'?
Salvini met him last week, I don't know if ours is an official membership. But we move independently of Bannon: the League is fortunate to be a movement that can move forward autonomously even here in Brussels.
Strasbourg votes on the activation of the article the day after tomorrow 7 of the Union Treaty against Orban for violating EU values. You will vote for Orban, naturally.
I think so. E’ the same reasoning I did about the UN: the EU must leave the freedom to member states to manage their own internal politics, it doesn't have to be the super-state telling us what to do about everything, it did it with the Berlusconi governments, with Poland, now Hungary. This is why we are identitarian: the clash is between globalization and identity. The question is how the EPP will vote: their choice is fundamental to understand which side they are on in view of the European elections.
However, the report already voted on by the Commission speaks of democracy in danger in Hungary, it's not nothing. Anyway, the five stars in the Commission, who in Italy are allies of the League, they voted against Orban. Now they will stay with you?
In the M5s there are different sensitivities: I hope that identity prevails.
He also sees an alliance with the M5s as realistic for the European elections?
It depends on them, we have made a precise choice of field and have no preclusions: it's up to them to decide whether they want to join and what their goal is between now and then 30 years.
A prediction for the Europeans?
I saw the German polls: they make the AfD the largest party in East Germany, al 27 percent. La Le Pen is at 20… I believe that we can become the second group in the European Parliament.
The first will be the EPP.
I generally think so. But we could be second. We aim to have a sufficient number of votes to influence the choices of the EU Parliament and be able to create a new majority with the EPP, so that there is no longer a consociational majority between Popolari and socialists.
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.it/2018/09/10/intervista-al-ministro-leghista-fontana-alleanza-identitaria-per-influenzare-il-ppe-a-strasburgo_a_23522780/