Marlene Svacek meets the most prominent right-wingers in Europe

Thousands of League supporters gathered on Sunday in Pontida, northern Italy, alongside famous European politicians. In addition to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Dutch election winner Geert Wilders, Deputy Leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Marlene Svacek also attended the ruling party meeting. Svacek stressed the need to defend Europe as a space for “art and culture.” She clearly stood behind League leader Matteo Salvini, who was threatened with prison.

Espresso with Salvini

Svacek himself commented sarcastically on the recent meeting between Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Anyone can have dinner with Nehammer. Espresso with capitano Matteo Salvini only true right-wingers,” the deputy governor of Salzburg wrote on Instagram under a photo shared with Salvini.

Svacek praises Salvini

“We do not want a Europe that abandons its identity in the name of supposed progress. We want to leave to future generations a strong Europe with deep roots and a clear identity,” Svacek told the League activists who came to the Lombard city from all over Italy. She traveled to Italy as a representative of the leader of the FPÖ party. Herbert Kickl, who, as he is known, launched the election campaign in Styria in Hartberg on Sunday, said that Europe needs politicians with visions like League leader Salvini, who is threatened with several years in prison for his controversial actions against sea rescuers, and the deputy governor confirmed Salzburg: “As Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini puts his country’s security above his own well-being, thus defending Europe’s values.”

Salvini was accused of preventing a ship belonging to a Spanish aid organization carrying migrants rescued from distress from entering an Italian port for weeks during his term as interior minister in 2019. The prosecutor's office considered this order in court in Palermo tantamount to deprivation of liberty and abuse of office. The ruling against the current Minister of Transport is expected to be announced next month.

Italian Minister Salvini

© Imago / Antonio Balasco

League activists in Pontida chanted slogans in support of Salvini. “Hands off Salvini, defending national borders is not a crime!” were some of the slogans that could be read on the banners. Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing populist National Rally party in France, sent a video message to the participants in the meeting in Pontida. The National Front is the leading party in the new EU right-wing coalition Patriots for Europe (PfE), which includes, among others, the League, Orbán's right-wing conservative Fidesz, Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV), and the Freedom Party of Austria. . In addition to Svacek, Wilders and Orban, there were also Portuguese right-wing populist leader Andre Ventura and Spanish Vox party spokesman José Antonio Foster.