When Chi magazine published a photograph of Matteo Salvini’s
fiancée Elisa Isoardi passionately kissing another man in Ibiza last
year – the cover was emblazoned with the words “She loves another!” – it
could have been shrugged off as typical tabloid fodder meant to
embarrass a politician.
In Rome however, it was seen as something else: a hit job by the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi – who owns Chi – against Salvini, the far-right leader who is also Berlusconi’s key centre-right coalition partner as Italy heads to the polls in national elections next week.
Berlusconi and Salvini – who has transformed Lega (League, formerly the Northern League) from a fringe party to a major political force – have since buried the hatchet, presenting a more unified image to voters than their rivals on the left. While Lega historically focused its vitriol on southern Italians, calling them lazy and a drag on the rest of the country, Salvini – who dropped Nord from Lega Nord to distance himself from the party’s secessionist roots – has even gained support in the south with his persistent attacks on African migrants, who he has claimed are invading Italy.
Now, with polls showing they have 37% support of the electorate, the centre-right coalition is within sight of securing an absolute majority in parliament. A victory could give Berlusconi, who is the leader of the Forza Italia party, the power to choose the next prime minister of Italy. The 81-year-old is barred from running for office after a tax fraud conviction.
The Chi episode highlights the depth of the personal animosity, on top of serious policy differences, between him and Salvini, which raises questions about who would be calling the shots in the event of victory. Will it be Berlusconi’s more moderate positions or Salvini’s far-right populism?
At a political rally in 2016, Salvini declared that Lega would never again “be a slave”, least of all to Berlusconi.
“Berlusconi is certainly in charge. He is still the master of the party. But depending on the election result, the relative strength on the centre-right will be decided by the vote,” said Stefano Stefanini, a consultant who previously served as Italy’s ambassador to Nato. “Should the League do particularly well, and better than expected, then obviously Salvini will not take instructions from Berlusconi.”
Despite his past foibles, tax crimes, and political failures, the man known as Il Cavaliere (the knight) has emerged in the race as a relatively moderate statesman. Berluconi’s resurgence in Italian politics after his resignation from high office in 2013 has been welcomed with relief in Brussels, where he is seen as a predictable leader who can keep Italy’s populist and far-right forces – especially the Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant Salvini – in check.
Read more: Berlusconi v Salvini: the bitter fight for control of Italy's right wing | World news | The Guardian
In Rome however, it was seen as something else: a hit job by the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi – who owns Chi – against Salvini, the far-right leader who is also Berlusconi’s key centre-right coalition partner as Italy heads to the polls in national elections next week.
Berlusconi and Salvini – who has transformed Lega (League, formerly the Northern League) from a fringe party to a major political force – have since buried the hatchet, presenting a more unified image to voters than their rivals on the left. While Lega historically focused its vitriol on southern Italians, calling them lazy and a drag on the rest of the country, Salvini – who dropped Nord from Lega Nord to distance himself from the party’s secessionist roots – has even gained support in the south with his persistent attacks on African migrants, who he has claimed are invading Italy.
Now, with polls showing they have 37% support of the electorate, the centre-right coalition is within sight of securing an absolute majority in parliament. A victory could give Berlusconi, who is the leader of the Forza Italia party, the power to choose the next prime minister of Italy. The 81-year-old is barred from running for office after a tax fraud conviction.
The Chi episode highlights the depth of the personal animosity, on top of serious policy differences, between him and Salvini, which raises questions about who would be calling the shots in the event of victory. Will it be Berlusconi’s more moderate positions or Salvini’s far-right populism?
At a political rally in 2016, Salvini declared that Lega would never again “be a slave”, least of all to Berlusconi.
“Berlusconi is certainly in charge. He is still the master of the party. But depending on the election result, the relative strength on the centre-right will be decided by the vote,” said Stefano Stefanini, a consultant who previously served as Italy’s ambassador to Nato. “Should the League do particularly well, and better than expected, then obviously Salvini will not take instructions from Berlusconi.”
Despite his past foibles, tax crimes, and political failures, the man known as Il Cavaliere (the knight) has emerged in the race as a relatively moderate statesman. Berluconi’s resurgence in Italian politics after his resignation from high office in 2013 has been welcomed with relief in Brussels, where he is seen as a predictable leader who can keep Italy’s populist and far-right forces – especially the Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant Salvini – in check.
Read more: Berlusconi v Salvini: the bitter fight for control of Italy's right wing | World news | The Guardian
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