The far-right campaigns with the Mediterranean | …

From Rome

Some say that the Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the right wing of the La Liga party, is campaigning from the Mediterranean. And they do not say it just because it promotes the downfall of the government and we see it every two by three, in this European summer, on the beaches, surrounded by its supporters and taking selfies with girls in bikinis. But because he chose the theme of migrants crossing the Mediterranean as the main fighting flag. Migrants who may die in the sea because of thirst, hunger, sun or barge melt; migrants who escape hunger, desertification, conflict and wars in which the countries they lead sometimes have to do; migrants who dream of being able to improve their lives, as have always dreamed of immigrants from around the world, including Italians scattered in dozens of countries, before and after the First and Second World Wars.

The last stage of this battle was to block at all costs the ships of non-governmental solidarity organizations that rescue fugitives in the Mediterranean, as was recently the case with the German Sea Watch3 led by Carola Rackete, and is now doing so with the Norwegian-flagged Spanish Open Arms and Ocean Vikings, led by humanitarian organizations Sos Mediterranée and Médecins sans Frontières, saved 85 people, including four children, off the coast of Libya. The Libyan coastguard proposed to the Norwegian ship to anchor in the port of Tripoli. But humanitarian organizations have refused to strongly support that they "will not take people to a country at war."

After 16 days aboard Open Arms and at the express request of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte – with whom Salvini has no good relations and who seeks to dethrone at any time – Salvini has dropped 27 miners on the island of Lampedusa, since the boat was half a nautical mile from the island. The young men were kidnapped by two ships, one from the Finance Guard and the other from the Coast Guard, and then taken to Lampedusa where they were searched. And shortly after Salvini launched in a tweet – his best "submachine gun" media – "They tell me from Lampedusa that of the 27 minor migrants, eight said they were older. We will see the others … After the "imaginary sick", we now have the "imaginary minors". While others give in, I do not change my mind.

The subject "imaginary patients" was also discussed. Salvini calls them "imaginary" because he says that this is based on the report of the head of the Lampedusa Medical Center, Francesco Cascio, doctor and former deputy of Forza Italia, the party of Silvio Berlusconi and possible next ally of Salvini. Cascio said he had read the reports of his collaborators – he is on vacation off the island – that they say that almost all people forced to disembark at Lampedusa on the pretext that they had problems with health are good.

After the landing, the Agrigento prosecutor 's office, which investigates the case, brought experts aboard the ship to check the hygiene and hygiene conditions of the 107 migrants still on board, following Cascio's statements and the totally different report of Emergency. and the Italian Order of Malta Rescue Corps, which spoke of "uncontrollable situation" and "danger to people's lives", including scabies, haemorrhagic cystitis, burns, epileptic seizures. Medical coordinator of Doctors Without Borders, Luca Pigozzi, told the Roman newspaper The Republic that boys on open arms, when they were saved "did not drink two or three days ago, they had not eaten either, they were very weak. Some of them had burns, marks of eyelashes and various scars. Most of these children come from poor, conflict-ridden countries in Africa, such as Sudan, Guinea, and Mali.

In the message sent to Salvini, Conte also informed him that several countries had declared themselves available to share the cost of hosting with Italy, regardless of the age of the migrants . Among these are France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Spain.

But Salvini, used to being the strong government and to decide for himself, do not remain silent and replied to the Prime Minister: the decision to land the miners is "your exclusive decision" but I "will continue" to pursue my goal . "I will do it to prevent your decision on the Open Arms case from becoming a dangerous antecedent for anyone who thinks it's okay to think that our country is the only one responsible for it." reception of all unaccompanied (or suspected) minors taken care of. or at any angle of the Mediterranean or the world ". But Salvini had to face not only Conté's opposition, but also for the first time the decision of his colleagues, Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta, and Transport, Danilo Tonninelli, who had refused to sign the decision. Salvini's decision prohibiting the entry of ships to the port of Lampedusa. According to the security decree approved by Parliament two weeks ago, this decision had to be signed by the three ministers.

On the other hand, the Spanish government, not without having expressed its indignation at the words of Salvini, gave its agreement yesterday for the landing of Open Arms in the port of Algeciras (Andalusia) and France offered to 40 welcome castaways. Salvini had tweeted earlier: "Instead of going to a Spanish port, these" gentlemen "have kidnapped immigrants on board just to attack and provoke me and Italy. They do not scare me, they make me sad. I do not lose. Open Arms responded: "What 107 migrants and unnamed volunteers use as prisoners to make xenophobic and racist propaganda is miserable. All those who allow it are accomplices and make fun of the suffering of immigrants. Open Arms, which plans to denounce Italy in the European courts – as well as the Spanish government – then informed that the port of Algeciras was too far for them and that five of the immigrants on board were on their own. were thrown into the sea in despair but they were saved and brought back on board. "The Spanish organization rejects the port offered by Spain.Incredible and unacceptable! Do they organize tourist cruises and decide on the landing? Italy is no longer the fugitive camp of Europe, "said Salvini in another tweet.

Pope Francis also made himself felt in a message sent this Sunday to the meeting of the Catholic Communion and Liberation organization that was held in Rimini. "Think of the thousands of people who escape war and poverty every day: before the numbers, they are faces, people, names, stories. We must not forget it, "wrote the pope.

The major controversy however was triggered by one of Italy's most famous writers, Roberto Saviano, persecuted by the Neapolitan mafia, the camorra – and therefore with the permanent protection of the police – by the books that He wrote, notably Gomorra. Before leaving the ship, the Neapolitan writer and journalist wrote in a tweet: "The 134 migrants aboard Open Arms, after being kidnapped by the bandits of Libya, are now kidnapped by the political bandit Matteo Salvini," Minister of Malavita "(Minister of Crime). Salvini's fate is prison and he understands it too. "