Matteo Salvini officially launched his European election campaign in Florence on Sunday. The Italian Deputy Prime Minister wants to run it with his „friends.“ These are not the coalition partners in Rome, but representatives of right-wing nationalist parties from 14 EU countries. Among those present in the Tuscan capital: Representatives of the German AfD, the French Rassemblement National, the Dutch PVV and the Austrian FPÖ. Salvini titled his event „Free Europe.“ „I think this day was extraordinary, if not historic,“ wrote the Italian Lega leader in the evening on the short messaging service X (formerly Twitter).