Latest news with #MatteoSalvini
Local Italy
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Local Italy
Four Italian regions to introduce ban on old diesel cars from October
The northern Italian regions of Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna are set to introduce stringent restrictions on the circulation of older diesel cars starting on Wednesday, October 1st, according to a report from Il Corriere della Sera. Under the crackdown, diesel vehicles falling into the Euro 5 emission class will be banned from circulating in all municipalities with over 30,000 residents between 8.30am and 6.30pm during the working week (Monday to Friday). The ban won't apply to weekends and will remain in place until April 15th, 2026, the report said. According to La Repubblica, motorists flouting the ban on Euro 5 vehicles could face fines of up to €679 if caught. First announced in September 2023, the restrictions are set to affect over 1.3 million Euro 5 vehicles across the four northern regions, according to Il Corriere della Sera. The clampdown is part of measures aimed at reducing air pollution in the Po Valley after the European Union hit Rome with multiple infringement procedures in connection with repeated failures to meet the bloc's air quality standards. The Po Valley, which includes the major cities of Milan, Turin, Bologna and Venice, has long been ranked among the areas with the worst air quality across the entire European continent. Of 25 Italian cities found to have exceeded the legal threshold for coarse particulate matter, or PM10, in 2024, 21 were located in the Po Valley, according to a report from environmental watchdog Legambiente. The planned rollout of the regional restrictions on Euro 5 cars has been met with anger by Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini. 'It's absolutely unacceptable that Euro 5 cars will no longer be allowed to circulate,' he said on Tuesday. 'This is part of the foolish European measures coming from von der Leyen's Commission, which approved that economic and industrial nonsense called the Green Deal,' Salvini added. The League party leader also said he was working on an urgent law amendment aimed at preventing the ban from coming into force in October. The government must 'prevent millions of Italians from having to leave their Euro 5 cars in the garage,' he stressed. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were no further details as to when the above-mentioned amendment may be submitted to parliament and whether it would seek to repeal or simply delay the enforcement of the restrictions. Euro 5 is a Europe-wide emission standard introduced in 2011 to limit the emission of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from vehicles. It was replaced by the more stringent Euro 6 standard in 2015. Motorists in Italy can verify the emission class of their vehicles by entering the relevant licence plate number on the following Transport Ministry web page or by checking their vehicle registration documents (under section 3).
New York Post
10-06-2025
- New York Post
Vacation hotspot ripped over ‘ridiculous' new policy on pets in plane cabins: ‘Garbage idea'
People didn't like the idea of sitting next to a massive air bud. Italian air officials have caused uproar among pet parents over a 'ridiculous' new policy that allows medium and large-sized canines to fly with their owners. Under the new guidelines, approved last month by the nation's civil aviation authority ENAC, pets whose weight exceeds 22 pounds will be allowed to travel in the cabin if the airline permits it. Previously, canines of this size were relegated to flying in the cargo hold. 3 Italy's new resolution on traveling with pets stipulates that they must arrive in 'approved carriers' and strapped into a seat, rather than on the ground below. Viktoriya – The resolution stipulated that the pets must be placed in 'approved carriers' that can even be placed on seats, provided they're belted in or otherwise anchored and only if they don't obstruct emergency exits or crew operations. ENAC president Pierluigi Di Palma declared the goal of the policy was to ensure the animals' 'well-being' and make it 'easier for a greater number of passengers to transport their pets by air.' Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister and transport minister, expressed his support for the new rule on Instagram, writing, 'From now on, dog and cat owners will have less difficulty flying with their four-legged friends. Promise kept!' While the pet-friendly measure received oodles of support from animal-lovers, many frequent flyers appeared less enthused about the idea of sharing their air space with plus-size pooches. 3 The pets' carriers can be placed on the seat provided that they're belted or otherwise anchored to it. New Africa – 'Yea no … I don't want to sit next to a dog on my flight,' griped one naysayer on Instagram. 'Nor do I want to be covered in dog hair, and are they removing the dog hair from its seat before the next person sits down.' Another wrote, 'Stupid really. Imagine a plane in distress, the pets will all go off. Seriously, what a garbage idea, no safety involved.' Others pointed out that the policy would be problematic for people with canine phobias and pet dander allergies. 'This is really hard for people who have a fear of dogs, I mean, they're basically trapped,' observed one critic. 'The idea sounds great for dog owners, but has downsides too.' 'This is ridiculous. It does not take into consideration people with phobias and allergies,' complained one detractor. 'Not everyone keeps their animals as clean as they should, either.' They added, 'Guess who is going to get sued if a dog attacks another passenger? I love dogs, but this is going to bite the airlines and some passengers in the bum. Yes, pun intended!!' 3 Proponents of the new policy argue that pets in seats is 'how it should have always been.' Volha Krayeva – However, some fur fans were on board with the rule change, with one supporter gushing, 'This is how it should have always been, end of story, pets are family, not just animals.' 'An airline that allows me to bring my dog will have my business for life,' declared another. In the US, the size limitations for carry-on pets are at the discretion of the airlines. For instance, United Airlines doesn't have a weight limit but requires that they fly in a kennel that can fit under the seat in front of the owner. However, the Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines to allow travelers to fly with their service animals in the cabin on all U.S. airlines. There is no limit to the number of these specialist canines that can be on each flight and they don't need to be transported in a container. Some flyers have been accused of taking advantage of this rule by pawning off normal pets as service animals. Last month, San Francisco fashion influencer Piêtra Luccas was excoriated online for bringing her 'service' Great Dane on a United Airlines flight.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Italy blasted for 'ridiculous' new cabin rule on planes as passengers ask 'how is this okay?'
Italy has made a major rule change that's set to make air travel much more pet-friendly. Large dogs - once confined to the plane's hold - will now be allowed to travel in the cabin alongside their owners. Before the rule was introduced pets that weighed over 8-10kg had to be transported in the hold. Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC said in a press release that the new rules would make it easier for a 'greater number of passengers to transport their pets by air'. Matteo Salvini, transport minister and deputy PM, posted on social media: 'From now on dog and cat owners will have less difficulty flying with their four-legged friends. Promise kept!' But while the news was celebrated by some holidaymakers, others were much less impressed by the new rule. Posting on Instagram, one person said: 'I don't want to sit on a seat where a dirty dog was.' Another said: 'Stupid really. Imagine a plane in distress, the pets will all go off. Seriously what a garbage idea, no safety involved.' A third blasted: 'This is ridiculous. It does not take into consideration ideation people with phobias and allergies. 'Not everyone keeps their animals as clean as they should either. Guess who is going to get sued if a dog attacks another passenger? 'I love dogs but this is going to bite the airlines and some passengers in the bum. Yes pun intended!' Someone else agreed: 'The dog can sit next to its owner but what if the person next to the owner is allergic or is afraid - how is this ok?' But, while the rule change might sound attractive to animal owners, there are a few catches to the policy. Airlines in Italy aren't required to change their policies to reflect the new rules. Many still only allow service animals to fly in the cabin. Animals are also required to be 'placed in approved carriers' which can be put on seats, providing they don't 'obstruct emergency exits or crew operations'. The containers need to be secured with belts or 'specific anchoring systems'. As the carriers need to be placed on the aircraft's seats, it might rule out any large dog owners from taking advantage of the policy. It comes after British Airways banned cabin crew from posting on social media from their layover hotels, in a new policy. Staff have also been asked to remove any existing photos taken at layover hotels from their social media accounts
Euronews
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Fact check: Which country in Europe grants the most citizenships?
Italians have been voting over the past couple of days on whether to slash citizenship residency requirements for non-EU immigrants from 10 years to five, but misinformation has swirled about the vote. The country's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini and others have claimed that Italy is the European country that grants the most citizenship applications, for example. "The most dangerous (referendum) is the one that would extend citizenship to hundreds of thousands of people indiscriminately, with Italy being the number one European country in terms of the granting of citizenship every year," he said in May. However, it's not true that Italy approves the most citizenship requests year on year, and we can check this by looking at the most recent numbers from Eurostat. They show that in 2023, Spain granted the most citizenships, sitting at more than 240,000. That accounts for 22.9% of the total number of citizenships granted in the EU. Italy came in second place with 214,000, then Germany with 200,000, France with 97,000 and Sweden with 68,000. The UK granted 202,000 citizenships in 2023, according to British government figures. The leader board changes when the number of citizenships granted is analysed in relation to a country's population. In this instance, Luxembourg ranked first in the EU in 2023, with 8.8 citizenships per thousand people, followed by Sweden (6.4), Spain (5), Belgium (4.7), and Italy (3.6), which scraped into the top five. Slovakia, Bulgaria and Lithuania grant the fewest citizenships per 1,000 people, according to Eurostat, all of them sitting at below 0.5. Eurostat also calculates the naturalisation rate for each country. It compares the number of citizenships granted to the non-national resident population. Under this metric, the highest naturalisation rate was in Sweden (7.9), then Romania (5.9) and Italy (4.1). "In 2023, in the EU as a whole, 2.6 usual residents per hundred resident non-national citizens were granted citizenship," Eurostat said. It's true, therefore, that Italy consistently ranks among the highest by total number of citizenships granted, and has given the most in some years, such as in 2022 and 2020. In the former, Italy again naturalised around 214,000 people, and in the latter, it handed out citizenship to some 132,000. Nevertheless, as things stand and as the results of the referendum come in, Italy has some of the strictest citizenship requirements in Europe, with immigrants needing to live there for 10 years before officially becoming Italian. Others, such as Switzerland, Lithuania and Slovenia, have similar stipulations in place, while a sizeable number of European countries ask that immigrants live there for only five years. For example, Finland, France, Ireland and Portugal. While Italy has been mulling reducing its naturalisation requirements, some countries are considering going or have already gone the other way. The UK government has announced that it intends to bring in new rules raising the amount of time an immigrant has to live in the country before they can apply for citizenship from five to 10 years, unless they can show "a real and lasting contribution to the economy and society". Meanwhile, Belgium recently increased the cost of applying for citizenship from €150 to €1,000.
Euronews
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Fact check: Where in Europe grants the most citizenships?
Italians have been voting over the past couple of days on whether to slash citizenship residency requirements for non-EU immigrants from 10 years to five, but misinformation has swirled about the vote. The country's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini and others have claimed that Italy is the European country that grants the most citizenship applications, for example. "The most dangerous [referendum] is the one that would extend citizenship to hundreds of thousands of people indiscriminately, with Italy being the number one European country in terms of the granting of citizenship every year," he said in May. However, it's not true that Italy approves the most citizenship requests year on year, and we can check this by looking at the most recent numbers from Eurostat. They show that in 2023, Spain granted the most citizenships, sitting at more than 240,000. That accounts for 22.9% of the total number of citizenships granted in the EU. Italy came in second place with 214,000; then Germany with 200,000; France 97,000 and Sweden with 68,000. The UK granted 202,000 citizenships in 2023, according to British government figures. The leader board changes when the number of citizenships granted is analysed in relation to a country's population. In this instance, Luxembourg came first in the EU in 2023, with 8.8 citizenships per thousand people, followed by Sweden (6.4), Spain (5), Belgium (4.7) and Italy (3.6) scraping into the top five. Slovakia, Bulgaria and Lithuania grant the fewest citizenships per 1,000 people, according to Eurostat, all of them sitting at below 0.5. Eurostat also calculates the naturalisation rate for each country. It compares the number of citizenships granted to the non-national resident population. Under this metric, the highest naturalisation rate was in Sweden (7.9), then Romania (5.9) and Italy (4.1). "In 2023, in the EU as a whole, 2.6 usual residents per hundred resident non-national citizens were granted citizenship," Eurostat said. It's true, therefore, that Italy consistently ranks among the highest by total number of citizenships granted, and has given the most in some years, such as in 2022 and 2020. In the former, Italy again naturalised around 214,000 people, and in the latter it handed out citizenship to some 132,000. Nevertheless, as things stand and as the results of the referendum come in, Italy has some of the strictest citizenship requirements in Europe, with immigrants needing to live there for 10 years before officially becoming Italian. Others such as Switzerland, Lithuania and Slovenia have similar stipulations in place, while a sizeable amount of European countries ask that immigrants live there only five years. For example, Finland, France, Ireland and Portugal. While Italy has been mulling reducing its naturalisation requirements, some countries are considering going or have already gone the other way. The UK government has announced that it intends to bring in new rules raising the amount of time an immigrant has to live in the country before they can apply for citizenship from five to 10 years, unless they can show "a real and lasting contribution to the economy and society". Belgium meanwhile recently increased the cost of applying for citizenship from €150 to €1,000. Hosted by Prince Albert of Monaco, the final day of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) closed with leaders pledging their support and calling for global responsibility to protect the oceans. William, Prince of Wales, said the challenge of protecting the world's oceans was "like none that we have faced before" and that the clock is ticking: "I believe that urgency and optimism have the power to bring about the action needed to change the course of history. I'm an optimist because as the founder of the Earthshot Prize, I see the incredible examples of the ideas, innovations and technologies that are harnessing the power of the ocean whilst protecting its vitality." "Watching human activity reduce beautiful sea forests to barren deserts, the base of our oceans is simply heart-breaking for many. It is an urgent wake-up call to just what is going on in our oceans, but it can no longer be a matter of out of sight, out of mind. The need to act to protect our ocean is now in full view, as ever," Prince William added. Meanwhile, in his closing speech, French President Emmanuel Macron criticised countries that deny climate change and cut budgets on this matter. 'We've been hearing that, basically, climate change, the threat to biodiversity, the issue of the oceans, all of that, is a matter of opinion," Macron said. He continued: "I'm going to tell you: no, we don't have the right to do that because it's not an opinion, but it's scientifically established." The French president also hinted at potential developments in the near future: "We have a duty to mobilise because the science is clear and the facts are there. There is no inevitability. And so, with a few governments, we will in the coming days make strong decisions and mobilise the international community." A major focus of the weeklong summit was the push to ratify the High Seas Treaty, which would enable conservation in international waters. The forum is the precursor to the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice, where more than 50 world leaders are expected to attend. The US administration will not send representatives.
