Milan, Italy, April 5, 2025 – Italy’s Lega party wrapped up a fiery congress in Milan on Friday night, with leader Matteo Salvini navigating a tightrope between his Eurosceptic base and a surprising nod to Elon Musk’s influence, all while reassuring supporters that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government—now in its third year—will endure. Addressing hundreds of delegates at the MiCo convention center, Salvini declared, “The government will last. Let’s deal with our American friends,” signaling a pragmatic pivot as Trump’s tariff storm and Musk’s shadow loom large over Italy’s political and economic future.
A Eurosceptic Heart Beats On
Salvini, Italy’s Deputy PM and Transport Minister, fired up the crowd with familiar red meat: blasting the European Union’s “bureaucratic shackles” and vowing to shield Italian sovereignty. “Europe must serve us, not the other way around,” he thundered, railing against EU climate rules he claims choke farmers and fishermen—echoes of his 2019 campaign when Lega topped 34% in Euro elections. Delegates waved green Lega flags, chanting “Prima gli Italiani” (“Italians first”), a nod to the party’s anti-immigrant roots, even as Salvini sidestepped specifics on exiting the euro—a once-core pledge now softened amid coalition tensions with Meloni’s more EU-tolerant Fratelli d’Italia.
The Eurosceptic fervor comes as Trump’s April 2 tariffs—10% on all imports, 20% on the EU—threaten Italy’s €60 billion export market, from cars to wine. Salvini seized the moment, slamming Brussels for “kneeling to American pressure” while Italy’s Fiat Chrysler shares tanked 7% Thursday. Yet, his tone hinted at compromise: “We’ll fight for our people, but we won’t burn bridges,” a shift from past threats to ditch EU treaties outright.
Musk Enters the Frame
The congress buzzed with an unexpected twist: Salvini’s embrace of Elon Musk, Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency czar, whose X platform has amplified Lega’s voice. “Musk’s a friend of freedom—he gets what we’re about,” Salvini said, praising the billionaire’s push to slash bureaucracy, a page from Lega’s playbook. The nod wasn’t random—Musk’s X posts praising Italy’s “cultural backbone” have fueled speculation of a Tesla gigafactory in Piedmont, a dream Salvini’s dangled since 2023 to juice jobs in Lega’s northern strongholds.
Delegates lapped it up, with one telling reporters, “Musk’s our kind of disruptor—screw the EU elites.” But it’s a gamble: aligning with Musk and Trump risks alienating EU partners Italy relies on, especially as tariffs bite. Salvini’s “American friends” line—delivered with a grin—suggested a dealmaking vibe, perhaps eyeing tariff carve-outs or Musk’s investment to offset economic pain. “We’ll talk to them,” he added, hinting at backdoor diplomacy as China’s 34% counter-duties loom.
Coalition Confidence—or Cover?
Salvini’s “government will last” pledge tackled whispers of cracks in Meloni’s coalition, where Lega polls at 8%—down from 17% in 2022—while Fratelli holds 28%. Milan’s train delays Saturday (Piacenza’s hour-long snarl) drew his ire—“Ferrovie’s a disgrace!”—but he avoided attacking Meloni directly, a sign of unity amid tariff chaos. “We’re in this together,” he insisted, though Eurosceptic hardliners grumbled about her EU coziness.
The congress closed with a standing ovation, Salvini’s balancing act intact: stoking Eurosceptic fire while cozying up to Musk and Trump’s orbit. Italy’s high-speed woes and Turin’s femicide protests simmered outside, but inside MiCo, Lega doubled down—betting on Salvini to deal with “American friends” and keep the government afloat. For now, the Eurosceptic flame burns, tempered by a transatlantic wink.
If you want me to zoom in—like Salvini’s Musk ties or the coalition’s odds—let me know! What’s next?
