Italy’s Salvini plans rally to unite Europe’s far-right ahead of vote

A major rally of European nationalist and far-right parties will promote a shared political vision ahead of May’s EU parliamentary elections, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Friday. The leader of the ruling League party hopes to put together a bloc of anti-immigration parties in the European Parliament to challenge the traditionally predominant and mainstream center-left and center-right groups, Reuters said. So far, Salvini has struggled to create a broad front in the EU. He will kick off his campaign for the May 26 vote in Milan on Monday with representatives of three far-right European parties. A much more ambitious election rally is being planned next month. “It will be the first time an event drawing together at least 15 or 20 European countries will take place in Italy,” he said in Paris after talks with his French ally Marine Le Pen.