Lega Nord's scalp

The Italian airline Alitalia is to sell part of its shares to the French-Dutch company Air France-KLM. In the aftermath of the deal Umberto Bossi, head of Lega Nord, is pushing for more intercontinental flights to fly out of Milan's Malpensa Airport. After the deal these flights are set to take off from Rome. The daily Corriere della Sera suspects a European parliamentary election ploy behind Bossi's protests. "Umberto Bossi's bitter cries conceal a clear goal: they are meant to counter the impression that the 'Northern League' has been defeated in the trial of strength over Alitalia's international alliances, and cast the Lega as the true defender of the North's interests. ... The deal with Air France is as good as done, especially since Silvio Berlusconi has repeated that Lufthansa has not come up with a proposal. But this is no concern of Bossi's. His sole objective is to present the Lega's voters with a small scalp [a compromise to save Malpensa Airport]. He wants to help out Lombardy, which is stricken by rising unemployment, and receive his reward for doing so in the EU elections."

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