A Country Under Siege; Italy fights back against EU tyranny, new poll shows that only 44 percent of Italians would vote to remain in the bloc if a referendum were held, EU starts to issue threats because they don’t like the Italian budget, is Italy going to be the next country to leave the European Union?

Dear All

The United Kingdom is the first to leave the European Union, but as events in Europe unfold, they may not be the last; Italy according to a recent poll has become the most eurosceptic country within the European Union.

The tipping point in the change of public opinion like the UK has been a long time coming, but the rise of the populists in Italian elections is further proof that the EU project is failing. A recent poll found only 44 percent of Italians would vote to remain in the bloc if a referendum were held.

Funnily Italy is even less positive on the European Union than the United Kingdom, that might seem a surprise but when you factor in the migrant crisis that hit Italian soil, perhaps it is not although strange. Countries bordering the Med have been particularly hard hit and effected as the Med is a route used by human traffickers.

I suppose given this poll, the question must be when the Italians will take the next step and hold a referendum. Although the Italians by enlarge like keeping the Euro as a currency, it is doubtful they wouldn’t over time have the same feelings towards a return to the Lira.

Populist Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini reacted to the data saying of the EU:

“It is clear now to everyone that it needs to be re-founded.”

There has been talk that in order to save the European project that it would have to reinvent, but the problem with this is that the same people with the same mindset would continue. This reinvention if it occurred might simply be a roll back of the political path already trodden, a pause, before the political elite try the same plan again on intergration.

Salvini added:

“I dream of a Europe that does few things and does them well. The next year’s European elections will be a historic occasion.”

What the EU should be is a trade bloc, the overreach into sovereignty has been a complete disaster; people need back control of their laws, not made by unelected and unaccountable people in the EU Commission. The EU Parliament is a toothless body, it is a sham, all real power lies with the EU Commission, and we didn’t vote any of them in.

Salvini further added:

“I expect a sea of votes across the continent for those who want to respect their identities and peoples, against the arrogant impositions of financial speculators and the absurd laws of bureaucrats living on another planet. It will be a new European Spring of Freedom!”

The return of sovereignty is set to be the most pressing problem on the political stage in Europe, along with the migrant crisis and the social unrest. German Chancellor Angela Merkel with her stupidity has taken Europe to the brink of disaster, her future is bleak.

As Italy rails against the EU, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is warning his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte not to break the budgetary rules set out by the European Union. The business of setting the Italian budget is an Italian affair, but such is the interference of the EU that they feel they can walk all over the Italian people.

Initially, the Italians were unhappy about a lack of progress in solving migrant issues; they even went as far as threatening to stop sending Brussels money. Now the conflict has revolved around the Italian budget which has increased spending to pay for the Five Star Movement’s basic income programme.

How Italians spend their money is their business, but given the way the EU works, this spending affects how much the EU gives out money, and clearly they uses this an economic weapon to keep member states in line. President Jean-Claude Juncker said earlier this week that the Italian budget could provoke a violent counter-reaction in other eurozone countries.

So, what would be the violent counter-reaction?

Armed invasion?

Finally, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said:

“The appreciation for membership of the Union and its benefits is growing in almost all of Europe. The single currency also appeals to the great majority of citizens.”

This is gloss, the underlining problems in Europe are immigration, security and unemployment and the EU has created major problems with the first two, and regards to the third, they have undermined the people of Europe. They have deliberately used the migrant crisis to affect employment opportunities, and to bring in cheap labour to help the major corporations suppress wages.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University