Politics

‘President against his people’: Salvini openly backs Yellow Vest protesters, lashing out at Macron

In an extraordinary public EU feud, Italy’s Matteo Salvini and his coalition partner have thrown their support behind France’s Yellow Vest movement, while Salvini also accused President Emmanuel Macron of being against his people.

“I support honest citizens who protest against a governing president [who is] against his people,” said the Italian deputy prime minister.

However, the leader of the Northern League added that he “firmly” condemns the recent violence that has marred the protests.

Vice-President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Luigi Di Maio, who is the leader of the Five-Star Movement (M5S), urged the demonstrators on his party’s blog “not to weaken.”

Di Maio said that politics, in both France and Italy, "has become deaf to the needs of citizens who have been kept out of the most important decisions affecting the people."