Italy on Election Alert as Salvini's Permanent Campaign Rolls On

  • Interior minister keeps up busy pace of rallies over summer
  • Rising popularity could tempt him to force a snap election
Matteo Salvini speaks during a rally in Pontida, Italy, on July 1.Photographer: Federico Bernini/Bloomberg
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Matteo Salvini made the anti-immigrant League the biggest winner in Italy’s March election with a barrage of speeches, interviews and constant tweeting about a supposed migrant crime wave, the European Union’s unfairness and the need to put Italians first.

Four months later, 45-year-old Salvini is deputy prime minister and de-facto leader in a populist coalition government. But his campaign just keeps on going.