Already in February it became known that the right-wing populist Italian governing party Lega is said to have held talks with trusted representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Through a secret oil deal, the party of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is said to have received illegal campaign donations in the millions. A newly appeared tape seems to confirm the allegations now.
For the first time, the Italian news magazine „L’Espresso“ reported on the deal between Moscow and Rome. Secret tape recordings that leaked to the Buzzfeed portal and were released on Wednesday now seem to prove that such talks actually happened.
„The volume provides the first evidence of Russia’s secret attempts to finance Europe’s nationalist movements,“ Buzzfeed said. And further: „In the foreground seems to be an oil business. But behind it is the goal of undermining liberal democracies and creating a new nationalist Europe that is in line with Moscow, „said Buzzfeed.
Plans for „big alliance“
According to the Buzzfeed report, based on audio recordings, six men, three from Italy, three from Russia, are said to have met at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow on October 18 last year to make plans for a „great alliance“.
The meeting was about how millions of dollars from Russia could be hidden from Salvinis Lega.
One of the men is said to be a shop steward Salvinis, his ex-spokesman Gianluca Savoini. Savoini, who is also president of the Entrepreneurs Association Lombardy-Russia, is said to have negotiated with Putin’s employees for an oil deal by a Russian energy company, presumably Rosneft, with a northern Italian company.
Three million tonnes of oil worth € 1.5 billion should have been sold to the Italian oil company ENI.
Discounts of 65 million euros
The rebate of 65 million euros should go as a party donation to the Lega, so the plan. But not directly, but via intermediaries. After all, everything must remain secret, as Savoini is said to have stressed many a time.
In the conversation had been transactions on the Italian bank Intesa. To the Lega, according to the Italians contacts over a middleman. He is said to have once been a member of the Lega. The stewards of the Russians in return a high commission was offered, so Buzzfeed.
Campaign „beneficial for both countries“
The purpose of the trade is purely political in nature, should one of the Italians have assured the Russians: „We are counting on the continuation of a political campaign that benefits both countries.“ Savoini is said to have often responded to the urgency of the action. Everything had to be done quickly because the money was supposed to finance the campaign for the EU election. According to the statements, the first delivery would have had to take place in November.
But it is still unclear who the Russian participants really were and whether the deal with the oil delivery was actually completed, so Buzzfeed. Savoini and all other individuals and companies mentioned in the conversation denied Buzzfeed the cash flows. Savoini denied before the release of the tape recordings in February but also that such a meeting has ever taken place. Moscow has not yet commented on the report.
Salvini threatens to sue
Salvini also denied ever having received money from Russia. „I have said in the past, I will do it today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow: I have never taken a ruble, a euro, a dollar or a liter of vodka for financing from Russia,“ said Salvini on Wednesday. He threatens Buzzfeed now with a lawsuit.
The opposition parties in Italy do not believe him and called on the Lega leader to declare himself before the parliament. „After the Ibiza Gate in Austria, the Buzzfeed revelations seem to confirm that there are obscure relations between Russia and national-populist parties,“ commented Benedetto Della Vedova, head of the opposition party „+ Europe“ on Wednesday. The head of the opposition Democratic Party (PD), Nicola Zingaretti, said: „Russian rubles to the Lega for their election campaign against the euro? Salvini must make a statement immediately. “
Question about legality and independence
But even if the deal did not happen, the mere existence of the tape recordings raises questions of legitimacy, Buzzfeed said. When the conversation took place, parties in Italy were allowed to accept donations of up to 100,000 euros from foreign supporters. In the meantime, donations from abroad are generally prohibited.
But the close ties between Moscow and the Salvinis Lega party, as well as the integrity of the European elections in May, are also under debate, Buzzfeed wrote: „For years, European politics has been overshadowed by the presumption that Russian commercial transactions with ultra right-wing politicians have a secret political purpose. The notes now clarify how Russia uses trade as a cover to masquerade the exchange of money with power. “
Criticism of Russia sanctions
Salvini, whom the Russians called „European Trump“ during the talks, did not attend the meeting himself, but was in Moscow at the same time. The day before he gave a speech denouncing the sanctions against Russia as „economic, social and cultural folly“. Salvini has repeatedly called on the EU to drop sanctions in the past.
The tape recordings also suggest, according to Buzzfeed, that both Salvini and high-ranking government officials in Moscow knew about the secret negotiations. In addition, statements made in the conversation suggest that this was not the first meeting of the men.
„Moscow is the third Rome“
Several times in conversation Savoini is said to have addressed the purpose of the deal, it was about making a lasting difference to Europe. At present, however, one is surrounded by enemies – especially from Brussels. At the end of the meeting, Savoini spoke of „Moscow as the third Rome“ – an expression intended to underpin Russia’s claim to power.
The xenophobic Lega, which has ruled in a coalition with the populist Five-Star Movement in Rome since June 2018, has just as the FPÖ signed a cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party. Salvini, who speaks out against EU sanctions against Russia, has visited Moscow several times. Last Thursday, Salvini met Putin in Rome after his visit to the Pope.
