On the eve of Ferragosto, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini remains at the center of public and political debate. It is no coincidence, therefore, that on Friday, August 14, at 6:30 PM, he is the protagonist in the pine forest of the Versiliana, in Marina di Pietrasanta, interviewed by Tg1 journalist Sonia Sarno. Numerous topics to revisit on which Salvini himself has intervened in recent days: security and legitimate defense, with the fourth visit in a month to the Bollate prison to jeweler Mario Roggero, the controversy over De André, the request for suspension from Rai hosting of journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, and the proposal of a 5% tax on the profits of the top ten Italian banks.
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Honorable Salvini, today you arrive at the Versiliana, where exactly less than a week ago General Vannacci performed in front of an overflowing audience, a place where the coordinator of Futuro Nazionale Massimiliano Simoni lives and where, a few kilometers away, Vannacci himself permanently resides. Do you expect a different environment and reception compared to the past?
“There has always been a very warm welcome, a large and attentive audience, and I really think that today this beautiful tradition at the Versiliana will continue, despite it being the eve of Ferragosto. Unlike others, who can only provoke, ask, or hypothesize, we who are in government can do, realize, and translate proposals into reality, with responsibility. This is what citizens expect, in Tuscany as in all of Italy: security, public works, tax and bureaucracy cuts. Almost everyone else stops on August 14, we do not: the moment is delicate and deserves study, work, and presence. Those who stop are lost.”
You have certainly read about the controversies and criticisms directed at the prefect of Livorno photographed at one of your rallies in Florence. What do you think?
“I find it a surreal controversy. The prefect was there to meet me in my capacity as minister: we talked about Livorno, the development of the port, work, and security in the city. It does not seem to me that the good Dr. Dionisi distributed Lega flyers or waved party flags. Frankly, where is the problem? Perhaps someone on the left was bothered that the Lega inaugurated a new office in the suburbs of Florence and there were many people. It does not seem to me that the Constitution says that in Livorno, Florence, or Tuscany only the PD can do politics.”
Do you think that from now until the end of the legislature some progress can be expected on the Tirrenica front, the biggest infrastructure problem in Tuscany?
“After decades of inertia by the Mit, there has been a change of pace with us. The necessary regulations have been approved to allow Anas to acquire the projects of the Società Autostrada Tirrenica, particularly for the section between Tarquinia and Grosseto, and we have appointed the CEO of Anas as the extraordinary commissioner for the work. Project validation is already underway: the contract with the appointed entity was signed by the Mit in December 2025 and activities started in March. There are some technical issues that Anas, Sat, and the validating entity are addressing, and our goal is to close this phase by the end of the year, then plan interventions and establish priorities together with local authorities. Meanwhile, we are not standing still: on July 30 I convened a meeting with Anas and we decided to start a technical table with the Region in September for the most urgent safety interventions on the Aurelia state road, starting with the section between Capalbio and Ansedonia. The goal is to open construction sites by 2027. After decades of waiting, on the Tirrenica we finally want to move from words to deeds.”
You announced the request for a 5% contribution on the profits of the main Italian banks. Is there not a risk of a showdown with the credit sector or negative effects on consumer credit?
“No, recent history says otherwise. I have nothing against banks, obviously. In fact, I was among those who said yes when it came to putting billions of public money to save Monte dei Paschi di Siena. But if a sector makes profits of 200 billion in a few years, mainly thanks to interests and commissions paid by citizens, I believe politics has the duty to ask a question about the fairness of the system and intervene. Asking that a small part of these huge profits return to the community to support health and security does not mean declaring war on banks. It means asking those who have earned a lot in recent years to do their part. I am not intimidated. Consider that only the first two big Italian banks, in the first six months of 2026, very difficult for many entrepreneurs also due to the war, earned almost 12 billion euros, also thanks to state guarantees and interests paid by Italians. In Spain, this type of contribution brought 5 billion more in revenue and the banking system continued to grow and earn. I recall that the same big banks, despite earning tens of billions, have laid off thousands of employees and closed thousands of branches. Let’s say that other Italian entrepreneurs do not have the same possibilities.”
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In Tuscany, it almost seems that the center-right has for years given up trying to win the Regional elections. Is this just an impression of many observers?
“Give up? Never. With Susanna Ceccardi and Alessandro Tomasi we tried, and we will try again with even greater strength in a few years. Certainly, Tuscany is an extraordinary and complex land, practically always governed by the same political side, but many citizens want to innovate and change. Look at our mayors at work: thinking until a few years ago of center-right majorities in Massa and Lucca, Siena, Pisa, or Grosseto seemed impossible. In Arezzo, we just won again, confirming the trust of the citizens. Tuscany is not the private property of the left: the Lega is here, growing, and ready to do its part.”
Once on TV you said that at 16 you played Guccini’s “La locomotiva” on the guitar. Would you do it again today, perhaps in tribute to the artist who passed away a few days ago?
“I am a great music enthusiast, especially of the great Italian singer-songwriters. I am sorry that in recent days even a personal passion like that for the great Fabrizio De André has become an occasion for absurd controversies by a certain arrogant and fanatical left. Thank goodness we are still in a democracy: everyone is free to love the music they prefer and to go listen to it without someone having to issue licenses, authorizations, or certificates of political compatibility. This applies to De André, Guccini, and any other artist. Art is for everyone and by everyone.”
The Lega member Ceccardi said: “When it comes to defending borders, combating irregular immigration, and having the courage to carry forward one’s ideas, Matteo Salvini is considered an absolute model of reference.” To be a model, then, is there no need to talk about remigration and roundups?
“Exactly. Illegal immigration is not stopped with rhetoric or words, but with actions. And as far as I am concerned, actions speak. I spent six years on trial for keeping the promise made to Italians, defending the borders of my country, blocking landings, and fighting the business of illegal immigration. What the Lega thinks about immigration has been known for a long time: while others talk, we act.”
Are you still convinced that, after Lavitola’s arrest, there is a need to suspend Sigfrido Ranucci from hosting?
“Yes. In light of the disturbing details emerging in recent days, starting with the arrest of his friend Lavitola and his confession, I believe that, at least until full clarity is made on this matter, public service should suspend collaboration with those involved. Nothing personal against Ranucci, but the facts emerging cannot but force reflection. Rai is funded by Italians and I believe such a choice would represent above all a form of respect and protection towards them. We are guarantors, it is not about issuing sentences, but about protecting the credibility of public service while everything is clarified.”
