Italy sick leg of Europe, a poster in the Netherlands angers keyboard lions

Brussels – With a post on X even League leader Matteo Salvini reacted, and it was inevitable. The photo, taken by our editor’s son, young Sebastian, initially sent to the family chat, and then spread by our newspaper (yes, a scoop of our own) and relaunched by other newspapers is making the rounds of Italy through social media, and gathering a lot of criticism, especially from those who do not like the European Union.

Italy the sick leg of Europe in a poster by Dutch cartoonist Arend van Dam, among many, all in an ironic vein, dedicated to European countries, advertising a debate between European Commission president candidates to be held Monday 29 night in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and a symbolic place of European integration in which Italy has been a protagonist.

The event is organized by a Brussels-based, German-owned newspaper, Politico, which has chosen Maastricht, where the Treaty establishing the European Union was signed on Feb. 7, 1992. Taking part in the debate will be Ursula von der Leyen (EPP), Nicolas Schmit (Pse), Walter Baier (the Left), Bas Eickhout (Greens), Maylis Rossberg (Efa, confederate with the Greens), Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Liberals), Anders Vistisen (Id).

It must be said, therefore, that the European Commission and the other institutions of the Union have no responsibility for this manifesto, which is the result of the choice of a newspaper. Perhaps a criticizable choice, but evidently for someone this is the image of Italy.