Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday that President Sergio Mattarella has the respect of his League party after an attack on the head of State by a League Senator on Italy's Republic Day national holiday on Sunday sparked a major furore.
"There's no row with President Mattarella," Salvini told Rai television.
"The president has my respect and that of the League".
Salvini also said that Premier Giorgia Meloni had not telephoned him to ask him to intervene after a post on X in which League Senator Claudio Borghi took aim at Mattarella and appeared to call on him to resign.
The attack referred to a newspaper article on the president's comments regarding EU sovereignty ahead of the European elections.
"It's June 2nd, it's Italian Republic Day. Today the sovereignty of our nation is consecrated," Borghi commented.
"If the president really thinks that sovereignty belongs to the European Union instead of Italy, for the sake of coherence he should resign, because his function it would no longer make sense".
The comments caused outrage among opposition parties.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein described it as "unprecedented attack" and called on Meloni to "speak out and distance herself" from it.
Even Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani, the leader of Forza Italia, which, like the League, is part of the ruling coalition, expressed solidarity for Mattarella.
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