Gelato Populism: The Rise of Matteo Salvini American Greatness

The 2008 financial crisis hit Europe hard and Italy harder than most other countries. With its significant banking sector on the verge of collapse due to exposure not just at home but elsewhere Italians saw their economy grind to a halt and for the first time in decades, began to see notable numbers of their countrymen and women leave for work in other parts of the world. 

A second punch in the gut came shortly thereafter when France s Nicolas Sarkozy teamed up with British Prime Minister David Cameron (with President Barack Obama famously leading from behind ) to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Prior to that, Gaddafi and Berlusconi had reached a successful agreement to stop the flow of migrants from Libya to Italy. With Gaddafi s ouster, the floodgates were opened.

Feeling powerless due to decision-making being transferred to Brussels and the ECB thanks to Italy s membership in the European Union and its adoption of the Euro, a crisis in legitimacy of the ruling parties set in and Italians began to look for answers outside of the ruling parties. This was exacerbated by the huge numbers of African migrants washing ashore on the tiny island of Lampedusa near Sicily. 

via amgreatness.com