A kid meets Matteo Salvini in front of the Italian Parliament. They shake hands, and after a few second he comes back and says to Salvini: “We do not want migrants”.

Lega Nord’s leader reacts by smiling and saying that the kid is the “Number one”.

The kid – using the Lega Nord lexicon – employs the word *extracomunitari* to designate migrants. Literally, it means ‘those who do not come from the European Union‘, therefore also Swiss people, Americans, Australians and – soon (?) – British. But precision is not required when creating confusion is part of the electoral program.

However, it is impressive to notice the monsters created by 35 years of Lega Nord, rooted in 20 years of Fascism, which in turn was the solidification of a racist and imperialist forma mentis.

This slogan goes hand in hand with the other side of Lega Nord’s populist message: ‘Roma Ladrona’. Lega Nord always blamed the central government (Roma) of being corrupted and stealing from the citizens (ladrona = big thief). Even after it had been found out that the son of the former leader Umberto Bossi bought (with public money) a University degree in Albania. Although it could have easily been ‘Trump University’ as well.

Does right-wing populist discourse change when parties move from opposition to government? The case of Italy. FREE
https://t.co/4iaiSV2frN pic.twitter.com/Oelkba1LI0

— SESP (@sesp_j) December 15, 2016