Vladimir Putin mobilizes his friends in Italy to weaken Western sanctions on Russia

Italy risks becoming the weak link on the Western front against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Although he argues that Western sanctions do not affect him, Vladimir Putin mobilize his friends and allies to weaken the tool main to strangle the Russian economy are the punishments of all kinds that the alliance between the United States and the European Union is imposing.

Matteo Salvini, leader of the populist League and ally of the center-right coalition that is leading all the polls to largely win the parliamentary elections on 25 September, has for years been one of the sovereign leaders who form the internal opposition to the European Union closer to the Russian leader.

Salvini follows a zigzag strategy. He signed the pacts with his “right” companions, Giorgia Meloni of Hermanos Italia, preferred to be the new head of government and the former three-time prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia.

Melons to be covered in sand due to their neofascist origins movement, supports the West’s uncompromising stance against Putin. Berlusconi, a centrist conservative, is an old friend of the Russian presidentbut he is also forced by his status as a liberal and his membership of the European People’s Party to take the front line against Russia and its military aggression against Ukraine.

old relationships

Salvini is between two fires. But he cannot escape his intimate relationship with a Putin, which has maintained excellent relations with the European right since coming to power with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Both coincide in a profound nationalism.

Salvini, who also said “Exchange two Mattarella (President of the Republic) through Putin”he launched a campaign against economic sanctions against Russia, arguing that “they have only served to damage Italy and strengthen the Russians”.

The situation is difficult and the practically total closure at this time of Russian gas supplies to Western Europe they brought down the stock markets and the eurowhich today was quoted at 0.992 under 1 dollar, the worst price in its history.

The Russians underline the seismic movements of gas prices in the Amsterdam market, subject to many speculative maneuvers, which once again approached 300 euros per megawatt. On alternate days, Putin’s spokesman repeats it a “global storm” is approaching. that Western Europe will suffer in autumn and winter.

The German government this weekend launched the largest aid plan of 65 billion euros for citizens subject to extraordinary increases in essential products due to the energy crisis, and also for businesses.

With the 60 billion that the German government has already launched twice, thanks to its huge financial reserves, add up to 125 billion euros intended to cope with the situation.

Germany has 83 million inhabitants and is the European power most dependent on Russian oil and gas.

Italy, like Germany, is already preparing emergency plans for the winter. The decrees from the government of Mario Draghi, responsible for the news until the elections, after his resignation, are about to come out. Dragons resists the use of “budget variants”an expression that attempts to veil the increase in public debt.

Italy produces an annual wealth of 1.6 billion euros and has a debt of 2.7 billion for which it also pays 70 billion euros in interest.

The challenges

The Draghi government managed to halve (20%) Italy’s dependence on Russian gas and continues to sign agreements with African and Asian countries. It is estimated that Russian gas imports could be reduced to zero in one year.

But what is coming will be a very difficult autumn-winter. The government will soon announce several decrees to finance the crisis of industries and consumers.

In his electoral campaign, the head of the League, who in three years dropped from 35% to the current 13.9%, distribute as other impossible promises do. Salvini insists on asking for increases in public debt to finance the urgent needs of businesses and consumers with a value between 30 and 50 billion euros.

He points out that there is an imminent danger of an increase of over 370,000 unemployed e the operational failure of 120 thousand companies.

His most dramatic argument is to explain the need to remove sanctions against the Russians and recover more reasonable prices set by Putin for oil and gas supplies. Since it cannot break with its center-right allies he said he is willing to maintain sanctions if the European Union creates a multi-billion dollar financial shield to defend its 27 countries.

His senior partner, Giorgia Meloni, said a surrender to Russia would make Italy lose credibility and will not support Salvini’s claims.

The Russia question is stirring up the electoral campaign. The Democratic Party led by Enrico Letta, who in the latest polls has 23.1%it is the most important of the center-left, which currently does not reach 30%, while Giorgia Melloni accumulates 24.2% and Berlusconi 7.4%.

In total, the three center-right parties and other minor allies accumulate 46-47% of the votes.

They are not just sure winners in the scoring. The electoral law reserves one third of the seats for a one-person variant which, according to specialists, will guarantee hegemony which could exceed two thirds of the 600 deputies and elected senators.

This electoral disaster for the center-left also announces substantial changes in the institutional system because it would allow the right, with more than two-thirds of the seats, to impose, for example, a constitutional reform to give life to French presidentialism, without the need for a confirmation referendum.

Letta’s center-left strongly supported Prime Minister Draghi, condemnation of the Russian invasion and Western sanctions against Putin. If the current struggles with Salvini contribute to forming an alternative movement to the concessions to Putin, there are centrist forces who believe that after the elections there will be room to put pressure on the new right-wing government.

Letta believes that the last days before the elections can bring great news, especially if the confrontation with the Russians becomes more serious.

The truth is that the crisis that is aggravating the standard of living of Italians, who, for example, have succeeded in the last 30 years a modest 0.3% increase in wagesit will force the new government that will emerge from the polls to act promptly to deal with a landscape of acute social problems that will range from industries and intermediate societies to the discontent that is growing in the social sectors.

PB