-
The Guardian view on Italy’s ‘Sardine’ movement: politics with panache can defeat the hard right | Editorial
Spontaneous rallies opposing Matteo Salvini’s divisive rhetoric have captured imaginations. They offer a model that could be emulated elsewhereFor over a decade, the dominant theme in European politics has been the emergence of movements that seek to dramatise and exploit social divisions through crude and aggressive sloganeering. One of the trendsetters in this regard was the comedian Beppe Grillo, who in 2007 held an anti-establishment rally billed as “Vaffanculo Day” (Fuck-off Day). That mass protest in Bologna launched a populist wave in Italy, eventually leading to the rise of the anti-immigration politician Matteo Salvini, whose hard-right League party – currently out of government – is polling far ahead of its rivals.Progressives have despaired at the apparent inability of centre-left politicians to find the vocabulary and imagination to challenge the divisive and often violent rhetoric of figures such as Salvini and Marine Le Pen. But help may be at hand, in the form of a burgeoning grassroots movement in Italy that takes the symbol of a fish as its inspiration. Appropriately, it began in Bologna. Continue reading...
More like this (3)
-
Italy Election Deals Blow to Nationalist Leader Salvini
Regional voting thwarted an effort by Matteo Salvini to set off the government’s collapse and return...
-
Salvini suffers setback in leftwing stronghold during Italy regional elections
League’s Matteo Salvini has failed to wrest crucial Emilia-Romagna from centre-left, projections suggest, with M5S suffering...
-
Salvini vows to 'evict' government if far right wins Italy regional polls
League leader hopes to secure political comeback via votes in Emilia-Romagna and CalabriaThe far-right Italian politician...
