The motion was in relation to Salvini’s right-wing League party’s ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party United Russia.
The motion already has the support of the centre-left opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) led by former PM Giuseppe Conte.
Salvini has been under fire in recent days for refusing to blame Putin for the death in a Siberian prison Friday of prominent dissident and opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as for the League’s reported failure to formally sever ties to United Russia.
“It’s unacceptable that Salvini won’t be clear about their relations with Russia,” said centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein.
“There have been relations, we know.
“There’s this accord that has still not been torn up and this also undermines the credibility of the government’s position.
“Salvini is a minister today and there can’t be any ambiguities of any kind about what happened, on the Russian regime’s clear responsibility on the death of Navalny who was in custody”,” she said.
“There can’t be ambiguities,” Schelin reiterated, “and Salvini must be much clearer on the condemnation of Putin and this regime and tear up any pre-existing tie.”
Azione leader Carlo Calenda said the League is “still pro-Putin, albeit less openly than in the past, out of political calculation”.
He added that his party would file a no confidence motion in the deputy PM unless he formally announced that his party’s ties to United Russia have been ended.
Salvini has had overt pro-Putin stances in the past, on one occasion sporting a t-shirt with the Russian leader’s face on it and saying half of the Kremlin chief was worth more than two Italian presidents, referring to Sergio Mattarella.
ANSA
