Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini is facing an open revolt against his leadership of the far-right League party after he picked a homophobic, pro-Russia firebrand as top candidate for the upcoming European elections.
Discontent within the League, especially in its traditional stronghold in Italy’s prosperous north, has been growing in recent months as Salvini lost support among large parts of the party’s base to arch-conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
But that simmering anger boiled over last week when Salvini handpicked controversial Italian army general Roberto Vannacci — who was recently suspended from active duty over an inflammatory book he published — to lead the League’s list of candidates for the EU parliamentary election in June.