A biography for Matteo Salvinihasn’t been written yet.
“I don't do my job as minister based on polls.”
“I don't want to leave euro or leave the European Union.”
“I'm against illegal migrants. Too many of them are dangerous for Italy and Europe.”
“The only antidote to racism - and the Italians are anything but racist - is to return to a respect for laws and regulations and monitor who enters and who leaves this country.”
“Racist means thinking more highly of another, being superior to another. I don't feel better or superior - white, black, yellow, all the same.”
“If anyone in the E.U. thinks Italy should keep being a landing point and refugee camp, they have misunderstood.”
“We are for pension reform, jobs, the flat tax, and justice reforms.”
“We apply the catechism by opening Italy's doors to women and children who come here legally on aeroplanes, but no more men on rubber dinghies. We will help them grow up and work in their own countries. Let's spend in Africa the money that needs to be spent.”
“Changing Europe is a big goal. But I think it is at our fingertips.”
“We can't turn Italy into a refugee camp.”
“French arrogance is no longer in fashion in Italy.”
“I want to work for peace, not for war.”
“Leave the euro? Surely yes.”
“At school, everything was left v. right, communists and fascists; what interested me was the discussion of identity, autonomy, federalism, and community.”
“The problem with Islam is that it's a law, not a religion, and it's incompatible with our values, our rights, and our freedoms.”
“The economic sanctions against Russia are madness, directed against a neighboring and friendly market.”
“The final objective is not to distribute the migrants among various European countries but to prevent them from entering Europe and from departing from Africa. We need to intervene in Africa. We need to have a Marshall Plan for Africa to improve living conditions in the countries of origin.”
“We need to increase deportations.”
“I will seek to change some of the European treaties and regulations which penalise Italian people.”
“I tell the truth and they call me a fascist, a racist, an ugly, dirty, nasty, xenophobic populist.”