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Italian politicians have joined in the country's furious outrage at the European Union, with several protesting by taking down the bloc's flags in their towns. On Thursday, Marco Schiesaro, the Lega mayor of Cadoneghe, filmed himself "suspending" the flag of the European Union. The footage was tweeted out by Lega leader Matteo Salvini, who has urged the country to reconsider its relationship with Brussels following the crisis.

Mr Salvini said: "The EU has shown itself in recent weeks closer to the interests of bureaucrats, banks and financial powers. Far from the cry of pain of the peoples who founded it, including the Italians."

On Thursday, he also tweeted: "We have to re-examine the EU and Italy's role in it. It has not come to our aid at all."

In the video itself, Mr Schiesaro tells the camera: "After the minute of silence for our victims killed by COVID-19, I put the Tricolor at half-mast and tied the European flag with two ropes."

Another shock video showed the vice-president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Fabio Rampelli removing the EU flag from his chambers, before replacing it with the Italian national flag.

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