Italy's anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini leads right-wing rally of European populists

Salvini was joined by 10 other nationalist leaders, including far-right leaders Marine Le Pen of France and Joerg Meuthen of Germany

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Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, speaks during the campaign rally in Milan. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 9:53pm, 19 May 2019Updated: 9:53pm, 19 May 2019

Italy’s anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini led a rally of right-wing populist leaders on Saturday seeking historic results in next week’s European Parliament elections in their bid to transform European politics.

Salvini, the head of Italy’s right-wing League party, has positioned himself at the forefront of a growing movement of nationalist leaders seeking to free the European Union’s 28 nations from what he called Brussels’ “illegal occupation.”

Right-wing populist leaders pictured at the rally on Saturday. Photo: AP

He pledged to close Europe’s borders to migrants if the League wins not just the most votes of any party in Italy, but also of Europe.

Salvini was joined by 10 other nationalist leaders, including far-right leaders Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally party and Joerg Meuthen of the Alternative for Germany party. It was a major tour de force for the expanding movement ahead of the May 23-26 vote that will take place in all 28 EU nations.

Still, most of the tens of thousands of supporters that packed the square outside the central Duomo cathedral in Milan were there for Salvini. League flags filled the square, with a smattering of national flags from other nations.