How an Italian populist leader plans to oust Merkel as Europe's anchor

While EU government leaders wield broad powers, the new crop of European lawmakers will have a say in shaping the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, and thus influence policy

Matteo Salvini’s bold ambition is to replace Angela Merkel as the cornerstone of Europe’s political order, using elections in May as the sharp edge.

After riding to power last year on a populist groundswell, the Italian deputy prime minister is taking his campaign to remake the European Union along more nationalist lines to the next level, according to his strategist Guglielmo Picchi, a former Barclays Plc investment banker.

Salvini reckons that if Europe’s populists do well in European Parliament elections in May and his League secures 30 per cent support in Italy, he’ll have the leverage to bend the establishment to his