News Politics

Rome mayor lampoons Salvini with video

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

28 Nov, 2019

Raggi versus Salvini: "Look, he's talking to himself"

Rome mayor Virginia Raggi posted a video mocking Matteo Salvini, the leader of the right-wing Lega party, who was walking around the Campidoglio on 27 November making one of his Facebook Live posts.

Salvini was busy blasting Raggi's administration over its "total incapacity in [dealing with] the waste emergency looming over Rome and Lazio", when the mayor sent one of her staff members down from city hall offices to record Salvini making his video.

Raggi then posted her own video, accompanied by the Radetsky March by Strauss, with the caption (in Italian): "Look at these images: the leader of the Lega Nord announces to the citizens his visit to the Capitol welcomed by a cheering crowd and instead ... he ends up talking to himself... Salvini Chiacchierone, hands off Rome".

The video, which shows Salvini walking past indifferent passersby, ends with Raggi's traditional tag for the Lega leader: "chiacchierone", an uncomplimentary term which translates into English as "chatterbox" or "motormouth".

Salvini and Raggi regularly trade insults on Twitter but the public duel has stepped up a gear recently as Rome looks towards municipal elections in 2021.

Speaking live on Italian television last month, Salvini said Rome "is a disaster", imploring Raggi - "if you are watching us" - to resign.

Raggi shot back at Salvini instantly on Twitter: "I would say 'you resign too' but from what? You never worked in your life. #salvinichiacchierone #giulemanidaroma".