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Mr Salvini, who leads the nationalist, anti-immigrant League party, pledged to create a “new European spring” ahead of the European Parliament elections in May and to work with Poland’s ruling populists. He pledged to rally Eurosceptic allies to take on the likes of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and forge a “new equilibrium” to challenge the traditional pro-EU axis between Paris and Berlin.

Poland and Italy will be the protagonists of this European spring, this rebirth of true European values Matteo Salvini

Mr Salvini believes he has much in common with Poland’s populists, including opposition to accepting migrants and criticism of the way in which Brussels imposes rules on national budgets. But his admiration and support for Vladimir Putin has put him at odds with some in Poland where opposition leader Grzegorz Schetyna branded the Lega party a "nationalist, radical and pro-Russian party." Speaking alongside his Polish counterpart Joachim Brudzinski during a visit to Warsaw, Mr Salvini said: "The Europe that will be born in June will have a different pace compared to the one of today, which is guided by bureaucrats.

Matteo Salvini wants to lead a European Spring - and Orban backs him

Matteo Salvini and his Polish counterpart Joachim Brudzinski

“In Europe, one has always spoken about a French-German axis. We are preparing for a new equilibrium and a new energy in Europe. “And Poland and Italy will be the protagonists of this new European spring, of this rebirth of true European values. “I proposed to the leader of PiS Jaroslav Kaczinski and I intend to propose to others a pact for Europe with common points following the model of the agreement between Lega and M5S for the Italian government in which Italians, Polish, Spaniards, Danes and the others can decide whether to agree or not. “We will work on that before the election.

"Italy and Poland will be protagonists of a new Europe, with less bureaucracy and more attention to families and security. "A great Polish and a great Italian like St John Paul II said Europe must claim its identity, its diversity, its Jewish-Christian origins that only in Brussels dare to deny.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another thorn in the side of the EU, called the united front a "great development". He said he would like to see anti-immigration parties gaining a majority in the European Parliament elections later this year, which he said could lead to similar changes in the EU executive.