Italy’s Salvini to Tap Veteran European Lawmaker as Minister
- Lorenzo Fontana could be European affairs minister in Rome
- Choice would marginalize earlier euroskeptic candidate Bagnai
Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, speaks during a news conference.
Photographer: Akos Stiller/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is set to pick Lorenzo Fontana, a veteran European lawmaker, as Italy’s new minister for European affairs, according to three League officials who declined to be named discussing a confidential issue.
It’s a surprise move that would sideline Alberto Bagnai, a leading critic of the single currency who has roiled financial markets with his attacks on Brussels. The decision could come as soon as Thursday when the cabinet meets. Both candidates are members of Salvini’s anti-immigration League party.