‘Let factory workers choose’
Italian politician Matteo Salvini wants a referendum on the EU’s plans to ban the sale of non-electric cars from 2035.
Matteo Salvini is the leader of the Italian political party Lega and part of the right-wing alliance that just won the Italian elections. Salvini is not exactly happy with the European intention to only allow the sale of cars without combustion engines from 2035. “Let the workers at the Mirafiori factory and elsewhere in the country decide whether it’s fair to lay off people in Italy and give China a head start,” he said. Mirafiori is the historic Fiat factory in Turin, world famous for its rooftop test track. Already in December 2018 it became clear that EVs would roll off the production line in this iconic place. We now know that this has at least one advantage, because thanks to the electric Fiat 500e, that test track can be used again.
Salvini is the leader of the Lega party, formerly known as Lega Nord. That party is part of the centre-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni of the Fratelli d’Italia (“Brothers of Italy”). The right-wing bloc has won the elections with convincing numbers, so the EU-critical voice can safely be taken seriously.
Italy is not the only country that is not cheering at the ‘petrol ban’ of 2035, because Germany has already resisted it before.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl