The trial of Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has entered its final phase. He was accused of his treatment of migrants in the Mediterranean and of abuse of office. If convicted, Salvini will not resign.
The Public Prosecution Service accuses the current Minister of Transport of preventing an aid organization ship from entering the port of the island of Lampedusa for weeks during his time as Minister of the Interior in 2019. At the time there were 147 people on board from the Spanish aid organization Open Arms. The public prosecutor regarded this as deprivation of liberty and abuse of office. She demands a six-year prison sentence against the politician.
He, in turn, is not aware of any guilt, but is “proud of what I have done”. After all, he kept his promises and fought mass immigration. “I will do everything I have done again and again and I am happy with the expressions of affection that so many Italians show me (…). I certainly won’t give up,” said Salvini.
Here you see a statement from Salvini about X.
Support from Musk and Meloni
In fact, before the start of the trial, the right-wing politician received statements of solidarity from all over Europe. These include the European far-right group ‘Patriots for Europe’, of which the FPÖ is also a member, and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Salvini can count on the support of the entire government,” she told parliament in Rome on Wednesday.
From the US, Tesla boss and billionaire Elon Musk showed solidarity with the Minister of Transport. “It is absurd that Salvini should be put on trial for defending Italy,” he wrote on his platform “If I am acquitted, I will continue my work. If I am convicted, I think it will be very unfair.” He sees it as his duty to “defend the borders”.
Just a migrant from Italy
According to the helpers, of the migrants who were finally allowed to disembark in Lampedusa in 2019, only one lives in Italy today. Last year, more than 150,000 newcomers were registered in the Southern European country; so far this year there have been about 64,000. Meloni’s government is cracking down on irregular migration.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
