Salvini unveils new push for centre-right leadership

(ANSA) - Milan, August 16 - Anti-immigrant and anti-euro Northern League leader Matteo Salvini on Monday announced he would push to become undisputed leader of Italy's divided centre right.
    Announcing a "national mobilisation" November to oust centre-left Premier Matteo Renzi, Salvini mocked former Milan mayoral candidate Stefano Parisi, recently tapped by former premier Silvio Berlusconi to lead efforts to rally Italy's fragmented conservatives.
    "I thought he was an AC Milan player, then I realised (who he was). But I don't understand what he wants to do..." said Salvini, whose far-right party has long led Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia in opinion polls.
    Sporting a police T-shirt, Salvini also said it was time to "free the cities of illegal immigrants, let's give the police a free hand". Police union SIAP criticised Salvini's statements and his decision to wear the T-shirt for the second year running in his traditional mid-August address to the faithful at the northern town of Ponte di Legno.
    Police officers vote for all parties, not just rightwing ones, SIAP said.
    Milan, poi ho capito. Ma non capisco cosa vuol fare...'. Salvini è salito sul palco del consueto comizio di Ferragosto a Pontedilegno indossando una maglietta della Polizia di Stato: 'Liberiamo le città dai clandestini, mani libere alla Polizia'.
    Immediata la reazione dei sindacati: 'Un atto gravissimo, giù le mani dalle forze dell'ordine'.