Will Italy’s first fight with Brussels be over immigration?

Italy has a new Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte, who heads up a Five Star / Lega coalition. He presented his list of ministers to President Mattarella this morning and, with the Eurosceptic economist Paolo Savona moved from Finance to European affairs, it was accepted. The way is now paved for this Five Star / Lega coalition to start governing.

President Mattarella has succeeded in preventing Savona’s appointment as Finance Minister without collapsing the whole government, which must be considered a success for him. But his victory is not total. Savona is still in the government and will be able to cause plenty of trouble from his role as Europe minister. His likely replacement as Finance Minister, Giovanni Tria, has also been deeply critical of the single currency.

But, I suspect, that the new government’s first confrontation with Brussels will come over immigration not the single currency. Salvini, the extremely ambitious leader of Lega, has taken the Interior Ministry for himself.