The members of the ruling Five Star Movement in Italy have rejected a lawsuit against coalition partner and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
It concerns the case of the ship „Diciotti“ with migrants on board, which Salvini did not want to put on last summer. He is accused, inter alia, deprivation of liberty. But a process can not take place if the stars do not agree to the waiver of his immunity.
In an online vote on Monday spoke now 59 percent of the approximately 52,400 star supporters against a procedure for Salvini, 41 percent for it. The case is extremely sensitive for the anti-establishment party because it had always thundered in the opposition against the immunity for politicians. A trial against Salvini, however, would trigger a tangible crisis with the coalition partner, Salvinis right lega.
At the end of March, the Senate must decide on the immunity of the Minister of the Interior. There, the governing parties make the majority.
Last August, the „Diciotti“ of the Italian Coast Guard had brought 177 migrants to Sicily. For nearly a week Salvini had forbidden most of the refugees to go ashore. He wanted to put pressure on other EU countries to pick up migrants from the ship.
