They are doubtful that Mr. Salvini will actually vote for the case to go ahead in another legislative step on Feb. 12. Either way, Mr. Salvini, despite his complaint about having to eat breakfast with his lawyer rather than his girlfriend, is now relishing the opportunity. In the politics of persecution, Mr. Salvini has few peers, having picked up where Silvio Berlusconi left off. Mr. Salvini has replaced Mr. Berlusconi as the de facto leader of the Italian right, though he has sat on the sidelines since his coalition government collapsed last summer. Before then, in one of his last official acts, Mr. Salvini prevented the Italian Coast Guard ship, the Gregoretti, from bringing rescued migrants to an Italian port for days.

Source: International New York Times February 07, 2020 11:26 UTC